Deadly Secrets
by Xia Cheyenne
Summary: Sequel to One Man's Princess. Another threat faces the Voltron Force, more specifically Keith and Allura...will they be able to handle this one? It's going to take more than just the might of Voltron...
1. Chapter 1

Hello Again!

This is part two of a building series in my Voltron stories. Many of my supporters have asked me if I was going to continue, and yes...I have!

I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed the first one One Man's Princess...if you haven't read it, some of what you read in here may not make sense, so check it out!

I would love to thank my friends, Mertz, CMS, Wade Wells, Dark Empyrean, Harm, and Melody for all of your encouragement and support...love you girls!

As always, I don't own Voltron...which is a damn shame!

I present...

**Deadly Secrets**

**Chapter One**

_Planet Arus…_

It is another beautiful morning on this remote planet of the galaxy; the birds are singing and the breeze softly blows the petals of the many wildflowers that cover the lands on the planet. You can almost think that nothing could ever mar the tranquility that is created by this scene…that is until the faint shadows of five figures pass over the fields, causing a stronger breeze to overtake the fragile fauna…

"Alright team, ready for maneuver Alpha 3," calls the captain as he pilots his ship into a steep climb.

"Roger, Alpha 3 it is," returns the second-in-command while shifting his ship into the same steep climb. The other three follow suit and the vessels head further into the stars.

"Now, break off and fire ion blasters on my mark…three…two…one, mark!"

The five break apart into a starburst of sorts and a simultaneous blast of ion energy emerges from each of the cannons on the ships. The blasts hit all their respective marks on various floating targets placed in space for this practice.

"Woo-hoo! 100 percent efficiency! That's the best we've done in a while," exclaims the big pilot.

"Great practice, team. Let's take it in."

The five ships change course and head for the massive castle in the middle of that fauna field. The sunlight glistens off the huge towers and beam back its strong light into the cockpits of the vessels. In front of the castle stands a large platform and the largest ship heads for it. The black lion ship circles the pedestal and prepares for landing. The retrothrusters fire as Black Lion lands and settles in as one of the fierce protectors of the Planet Arus. The other four lions head to their perspective docks; Red rests in the volcano, Yellow in the desert, Green in a forest cave, and Blue in the lake surrounding the castle. The five protectors of the planet have finished their daily drills and head for Castle Control to debrief with the Royal Advisor, Coran. In the main control room, there are a few figures that are responsible for monitoring the planet defenses, but they all turn when they feel the floor vibrate under them. Always impressed by the sight, they watch five transport tubes emerge from the floor and wait for the pilots of the five lions to come out. The doors slide open and they watch the five as they step into the room and remove their helmets. The first one is the hulking figure in the orangish-yellow uniform, Hunk. Usually a jovial fellow, he flashes a huge grin to the people surrounding him and places his helmet on the stand next to the chutes.

"That was a good practice, team. All of your correspondence and reports are in the lounge area," says Coran. The older gentleman in royal attire shows no emotion; his eyes searching out the one person that he has been placed in charge of since the death of King Alfor, former ruler of Arus. He relaxes his features when he finds who he's seeking; a slender figure dressed in a pink uniform is the next one to slowly move over to the helmet stand and remove her helmet. Placing it down, the young woman lifts her head and shakes out her hair as much as she can with it being braided. She turns to look at Coran and flashes him a quick grin. "It was a good one, wasn't it?" she returns as she heads in the same direction as the others. Coran shakes his head for the millionth time since she decided that taking on the responsibility of piloting Blue Lion was part of her commitment to her people.

_She was always too headstrong for her own good! _He thinks to himself. The only ones that could really reel her in were her parents, but with them being gone……the tedious task fell on him and Nanny.

And what a job that was!

She is Allura, the Crowned Princess of Arus and she just shouldn't be doing things like this. It was very unbecoming of a monarch, but they haven't had any success in trying to make her see that. Nanny tries over and over to get her to take on more responsibility in the castle and her royal duties. The argument is she IS doing her royal duty; piloting the Blue Lion and joining the force sent from Galaxy Garrison to revive the powerful robot that lived on this planet, Voltron. These space explorers accepted the title of the Voltron Force and have been protecting Arus and its neighboring planets ever since. One of the original explorers, Sven, was the pilot of Blue until Haggar almost killed him…the recovery needing to take place on the Planet Ebb for him to live, before the final insult…being captured by Zarkon. She knew that she needed to learn how to pilot the lion and felt that it was as important as listening in on any legislation or trying to take care of her peoples' other needs. Coran shakes his head again, realizing that it was an argument that they were never going to win.

He turns back to the console that he was observing a moment ago to make sure that all of the flight data has been transferred to the small terminals in the lounge. The next two pilots place their helmets down and move to their seats. Dressed in green, the pilot of Green Lion is Pidge; the youngest of them, but equipped with a genius intellect and the wonder of a child. Pidge is the only one in the group that can view things from a child's point of view and that comes in handy more times than can be counted, especially when it comes ot the rebuilding of the villages and mapping out the proper security routes to evacuate the towns The pilot of Red Lion is Lance, a rogue for lack of a better term. He's the Casanova of the group and he is never without a smart quip or sarcastic verse. He moves to his seat and flashes a smile at the Princess, winking as he does so. "So, what's the verdict? I think this practice was flawless, if I do say so myself."

Smirking back at him, Allura returns, "The only one that can tell us that probably won't."

"But he never thinks that any of our flights are flawless."

"And you would be right about that. In battle, being too perfect can get you killed." As the other pilots settle in their respective seats in the pilot's lounge, their leader removes his helmet and runs his hand through the thick mass of raven black hair on his head. He looks at his team and clears his throat; carefully avoiding the gaze of the Blue Lion's pilot.

The effort does not go unnoticed…

"Hey, nice maneuver out there, little buddy!" says Hunk as he slaps the smaller man in green on the back.

"Thanks, I just decided to try a little something different with the Green's new mega thruster. I wanted to see what it could do since it had the upgrade."

"Well, I thought that it was a little too dangerous…" is the start, but the commander finishes with, "But, it was well executed…good job, Pidge."

The smaller man smiles and looks into the face of his commander. The captain smiles back and turns to his best friend. "Your reactions were a little off today, what's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing…everyone has an off-day…..sir!" the young pilot exclaims and is popped in the back of his head for the effort by his best friend.

"We can't afford to have an off-day, Lance, especially after the events of the past week…maybe you need to slow down your nightly activities."

"Ha-ha, Keith. Maybe if you indulged in some extra-curricular activities of your own, you might have an off-day every now and then!" returns Lance as he watches his friend sit in the chair closest to the terminals. Those remarks hit home for Keith…he can't let the ever-inquisitive lieutenant read his thoughts. No one needs to know about his newly discovered 'extra-curricular activity'!

Lance shrugs, realizing he's not going to get anymore of a rise out of him, and decides to move over to one of the lounge chairs and drops down in one. Now that everyone has gotten comfortable, the leader of the Voltron Force picks up the reports and quickly peruses them before speaking.

"Today's practice was well-run, but the purpose was to calibrate our aim in high risk situations," starts Keith. Lifting his gaze from the reports, he focuses in on two of his teammates. "Hunk and Pidge, at the start of the target run your reaction time fell a little under specs. We have to be able to maintain speed while hitting what we aim at with a better efficiency. Take a look at the last few seconds of the run."

Keith presses a button and the scene he was referring to plays on the small terminals in front of them. Looking at what he was referencing, Hunk and Pidge examine the move and nod to each other. "We see it. A few adjustments on the portside of Yellow will compensate for the speed loss."

"And working out the kinks in the ion cannon on Green should help with the accuracy."

Nodding at the responses, Keith turns to Lance and smirks. "Your targeting percentage was way off. You need to sharpen your laser targeting system."

"I'll see to it, but I still think that we had a perfect practice."

"Not with you missing four out of ten targets, we didn't. You're one of the best fighters I've ever worked with…and we need those skills of yours in top form." returns the commander. The initial look of disappointment in Lance's face is enough to cause Keith to smile, but teasing Lance right now isn't going to serve any purpose other than a sick personal pleasure. He knows nothing bothers his friend more than being shown that he's not perfect.

Taking a deep breath, he turns his gaze to Allura and his breath catches involuntarily. Even with her disheveled appearance, she can always make him wish they were alone. Memories of that night two weeks ago flash through his head and his body reacts immediately. They have had to keep things platonic, or rather as platonic as they can, whenever they are around the others. Not being able to continue to examine their connection more thoroughly…experimenting with their new enhancement is driving them both crazy. They let their minds meld during the night, but they keep the contact minimal…not wanting to work themselves into a sexual frenzy that they can do nothing about.

But now, the separation is killing him...them. Being so close to her and not being able to hold her and kiss her into a coma is grating on his frazzled nerves. He sighs, praying that he can continue to keep it under control; or their secret will be known. It's bad, that by all intentions, he shouldn't be feeling this way for her even though they had discussed it all…his apprehension and her fears about feeling this way about him. They just didn't want to hide it from each other anymore, so on that wonderful day right before Lotor showed up and almost ruined things, he had taken her in his arms and told her he loved her…sealing the vow with a soul-rending kiss. They also discussed the fact that their feelings must be kept as platonic as possible during the days, they figured that at night however…

He can't help but smile wickedly…

He remembers that he is still standing in a room full of inquisitive people, so he tries to recall what he had to say, "Um, Princess, the water cannon on Blue needs calibration. Your hit percentage was a little off as well."

She felt him pull his gaze away, because it took a part of her with it. She, too, knew from that first day that he was special; someone who she would be able to be herself with. He would never force her to be anything than what she was and she has always loved him for it.

And that's what it was; love...as pure and as deep as the vastness of space. She loved him, body and soul and she showed it with all the fervor she could muster that amazing night. Her eyes mist over at thinking about the tender way he held her, the sweet words that filled her ears, the intoxicating movements that he was making deep inside her...unexpectantly gasping, she is sure that the flush on her face would tell everything that she had been thinking, so she turns away to get a drink of water from the nearby table. Now, she understands the reasons why Keith has been taking so many cold shower…hell, she could use one right now!

She gulps the water down and places the glass back on the table, "I'll have maintenance look over the cannons and report what they find. The laser targeting may be a factor as well."

He nods, "Good. It was a good flight and I'm sure that everyone wants to get out of their uniforms and get comfortable. The patrol duty list is posted, so take a look and find out what shifts you're on now. Dismissed."

The group gets up and quickly leaves out the control room to their quarters, leaving Keith, Allura, and Coran to discuss a few more things.

"The Denubian Galaxy Conference was to be next week and the security rotations were to have been tripled. But, after what happened, I think we need to hold it off for a little while…until we are sure that security will be more than sufficient. We can't afford to let our guard down for one moment and we can't let anything happen. This would be another opportune time for Zarkon to plan another attempt on Arus, or even worse yet, Allura." Coran states.

"Allura isn't what Zarkon wants…that's Lotor's obsession," adds Keith, feeling a lump form in the pit of his gut.

Coran stares hard at the young captain. There was no need for him to remind them of the compulsion of Prince Lotor, especially now. They have just gotten through yet another attempt on the Princess and had a hell of a lot of stuff to rebuild again. The loss of life and the new security measures are just a reminder of how they have been able to still stand after a very brutal battle. He looks to the captain and admires how he can continue working like it is just another day. The captain stares at back at him and his jaw clenches. It took all he has not to take off and go after Lotor by himself…the devastation that he left behind once more was almost too much to bear. The erotic interlude that he shared with Allura only put the harshness of reality on the backburner for a short time. He glances over to his love as she considers what has been said so far.

"I'm sure that the Captain will agree that all the arrangements for security will be more than sufficient in due time…right, Keith? I don't see any reason not to delay the talks. We need to get everyone on this side of the universe to ally with us, but we are not in a position to be able to protect all the ambassadors that would come here, not yet anyway. Once we get more planets to rebel against Zarkon, the easier it will be to gain assistance if needed. " says the Princess; her eyes boring into the captain's.

Coming out of his reverie, he nods. "Yes, everything will be done as needed. Back-ups are in place and Galaxy Garrison would send some extra help as well, since the gathering would be for their benefit..but there is no real need to worry about that now"

The older gentleman looks at him and nods. There is something about the way he's reacting that disturbs him and he doesn't know what it is yet, or rather doesn't want to admit to. Shrugging, he announces, "Well, since we have that under control…why don't we retire until dinner? I hear that the cook is trying out something new to serve next week and he wants us to try it first."

Neither person responds, so he turns to the person at the perimeter monitor and gives him a few instructions before leaving. After watching him disappear through the sliding door, Keith and Allura glance at each other before following him out.

"Alert me to any changes," calls Keith and moves through the sliding door with Allura on his heels. They move down the hall, knowing that this is a dangerous time for the both of them…they're alone.

The handsome pilot sighs; getting to the living quarters can't come fast enough…

"Keith, I…" starts Allura, staring at his muscular form. All of the training and workouts have kept his form immaculate; well rounded muscles and a hard torso tapering to a trim waist, making his red flight suit look amazing. Suddenly, her mouth goes dry and the thought she had wanted to tell him disappears. Now, all she wants to do is run her hands over that frame, feeling every muscle and sinew that he has...

Unfortunately, her daydreams leave her wide open for the collision into that beautiful frame. He had stopped at the start of her statement and she walks right into him, jumping back in surprise. She had been so engrossed with her own thoughts she hadn't noticed that he had stopped walking.

Having heard her soft voice pierce his muddled thoughts, he had stopped; waiting to hear more of that melodious voice. That was all he thought about all day…all that he has been thinking about until now…

_**Careful, love…you'll knock me down!**_

She laughs, _**No one told you to stop…**_

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to…" she stammers as she sees a guard pass by them. He catches on and clears his throat, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He turns to face her and smiles. "That's okay…I'm not hurt. What did you want to say?"

The guard nods at them and continues his rounds, while they stand there waiting for him to leave…once he does; the atmosphere changes…

Her mouth has yet to lose the dryness she encountered a moment ago. She stares at his face to memorize his features yet again. His raven black hair falls past his shoulders in wild disarray, accenting his face beautifully. His eyes are that deep chocolate brown she has always loved and they seem to peer right into her very being. His face is well sculptured; with a straight nose and full mouth with lips that she has been yearning to taste…

As well as have that sexy mouth taste her…again.

_**I can feel what you're thinking…and you ought to be ashamed!**_ he teases with a playful smile.

_** Sneak!**_ she gives him back. Her thoughts are beginning to frighten her with their intensity. The more she is around him, the more she wants to pull him somewhere and have her way with him. _**By the Lions…will it always be like this?**_

_**God, I hope so!**_

"Excuse me?"

"You were saying something?"

"Oh, I was going to tell you that I have every confidence in our team that the ceremonies will be safe once all the new security measures are put into place," she says softly. She drops her gaze adding, "I know I'll be safe as well." He wonders why the change in the conversation, but sees a couple of maids leaving out a nearby room.

Getting exasperated with the whole situation, she takes his hand and leads him to a secret alcove on the other side of the hall. Once there, she looks back down the hall to make sure that no one has see them. Keith stands there with a smug smile on his face, _**I wish I would've thought of this!**_

_**Shut up and kiss me!**_ she commands and she caresses the back of his neck. His eyes darken to coal black and his smile disappears. A typhoon-class wave of desire hits the both of them and they shiver at the impact. The Black Lion pilot stares into her glowing eyes and becomes a part of her.

_**Oh God…**_ he sends as he continues to stare into those beautiful eyes and slowly, almost against his will, places his hand against her cheek. Her eyes close at the contact, absorbing the electric heat that he's giving off. She rubs her cheek against his palm and hears his breath catch. He shouldn't be touching her now, knowing that they could get caught at any time, but he couldn't stop if he wanted to. That powerful force between them is calling the shots now and they're helpless. He moves in closer to her, bringing his other hand to her waist. She gasps, his touch burning her through the uniform.

"Keith…" she murmurs as she concentrates on his lips. The body heat intensifies as he moves within an inch of her, forcing her to look into his gorgeous eyes. "Allura…" he breathes as he focuses in on her lips as well.

It's now or never...


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the next installment...you have to forgive the delay, but I have been working on quite a few works; a new novel set in Ancient Egypt, the third volume of this series of Voltron, and a new story for X-Men. I have also finished writing for a challenge on deviantart...Zutara Week. For those who have no idea of what I am talking about, it has to deal with Avatar and a shipping that I, as well as quite a million others, think should have happened. I have also posted these stories on fanfiction under Avatar: the Last Airbender. The title is A Road Well Travelled. I have also posted a severely M story on for our favorite couple, Keith and Allura...I got tired of seeing stories only for Lotor and Allura! LOL The title of the story is A Nighttime Oasis and the link for it is on my profile...check it out if you like, but it is rather...well, you know...

_Of course they know...you dunce! This is MY piece of work and I am rather proud of it! The old broad finally le me run away with my ideas and created this masterpiece! I missed my buddies, Cypher, Lucifer, Diablo, Sultan, and Dokesitsu...so this is for them!_

_**after beating that devil back into his cave**_ Please excuse him...been locked away too long! Anyway, this is my little rundown, but you are here to check out the next chapter...

As usual, I do not own Voltron...cause if I did, the movie would be released next year...animated with the best Japanese animation and have all the good "hot" stuff that we wanted in the cartoon!

I now present...

**Chapter Two**

The first kiss they had shared so many days ago was innocent; given at a moment of revelation when they decided to admit to each other how they felt, but this one…

He hungrily presses his mouth to hers, trying to clamp down the urge to totally possess her. Red flags flash in his brain as he presses his body closer to hers, bringing her into an embrace that demonstrates how much he wants her. Allura didn't know what to expect when his lips first touched hers, but the instant they connect; her knees go weak and her mind screams for him to take her. She grasps onto his chest and struggles to keep herself from crumpling to the floor. Nothing on the planet could be any sweeter than feeling his lips on hers and she wants , she moves with him; allowing him to deepen the kiss and bring a desperate moan from the depths of her throat. Keith's hand moves from her cheek to her back, pressing her even closer. He needs to taste more, so he lightly runs his tongue along the line of her lower lip. She knows what he's asking from her and she eagerly responds; creating torturous waves of passion through her body. Her mouth falls open, granting him entrance. His tongue touches hers swiftly; waiting for her response and she gives it…with as much passion as he expects. Not being able to hold back anymore, he presses her against the wall and continues to plunder her mouth, taking a short break to let his lips move down to her neck…licking and nipping her soft skin. His mind and body remembers what it feels like to have her surrender…to have her give him all she is. He gladly relinquishes the last strand of control he has and brings his hands into the seduction; roaming her pliant body eagerly. He feels his body harden with each kiss, every pore screaming to escalate this to its foregone conclusion. Allura's hands continue to clutch the front of his uniform, teasing the zipper. _**Allura, we have to stop this or soon, I won't be able to…**_

Her mind cries out in sensual agony, _**My darling knight…I need you…By everything I hold dear…I need you inside me…**_

He groans, but continues to kiss her into submission, _**We can't…not now…**_

Now, his body screams at him…not wanting to be denied.

But, this is not the right place or time. This isn't what he wants for her, for them. The love he has for her is too strong to just let this be dictated by lust and hormones; she means too much to him to let this happen this way. With a strength he never knew he had, he pulls back. Desire-filled brown eyes capture soul-rending sapphire ones, reading the same frustration and desire radiating there.

She had been drowning in his touch a moment ago, but now that moment passes. God, she wanted more and knew that he did too, but he stopped and her body is agonizing as to why? She gazes at him and reads the anguish in his eyes…he didn't want to stop; he just knew he had to. From that first earth-shattering kiss, her will was not her own; she would have allowed him to say anything, do anything as long as he continued to show her what pleasures he could give her, allow her to show him how much he was a part of her and would always be so. But, the small voice in her mind that was smothered by that loud roaring of blood rushing through her body was finally heard. This doesn't have to be quick and tawdry; all this is forever and it will be treated as such.

"I don't know…" she starts, but he places his finger to her kiss-swollen lips and smiles sadly.

"You don't have to say anything. We both know why I had to stop… Heaven knows I had to stop."

She returns his smile and places her palm against his cheek. The feel of his face under her hand brings the blood roaring back, but she's able to control it more now. A sad smile covers Keith's face as he says, "I know it has been some time since we have been able to be together, but I don't want to be finding cubby-holes in hallways just to be with you." He lightly kisses her on the cheek as her eyes water up, "We knew that this wasn't going to be easy…that we would have to be patient and take time when we can. You have to know how I feel…you can _feel _how I feel, can't you?"

Allura closes her eyes and smiles, "I can feel you…I just long to be with you again. But, I understand and can wait…rather reluctantly I might add." They both laugh, hugging each other close. They know they don't need to utter those words now…but there will come the time when the words will become an integral part of the lovemaking they yearn for...

"I need to get changed for dinner," murmurs the princess as she steps back a bit farther to regain more of her composure.

"Yes, well…I think I need to do the same. See you at dinner." They still stand there for another minute; Keith slides his hand down her arm to take hold of her hand. Carefully and agonizingly withdrawing it from his grip, she looks at him once more with longing in her eyes; then she turns to head the opposite way down the hall…her beleaguered mind reaching out to him, _**And I will see you after dinner…I have a surprise for you…**_

He watches her head to her quarters, wanting to follow her. He has to regulate his breathing and wish for his desire-ridden body to calm itself. Every nerve ending he has is on fire and his arousal is straining against his jumpsuit. It's not fair what she can do to him with just a few words or a scalding look. As he heads for his quarters, he feels he needs to respond, _**Just remember that eventually…you're gonna get ALL you're asking for!**_

A brief silence…_**Promise?**_

A loud chuckling can be heard all the way to the Princess's chambers and she smiles proudly. There are not too many times she can get one over on her handsome Voltron captain.

* * *

He finally reaches his room and falls on the bed, suddenly needing much wanted sleep…

A knock at the door awakens him from a fitful nap. "What is it?" he calls, rubbing his eyes to get them to focus.

"It's me, Chief…just wanted to tell you that soup's on!"

_Great… just what I need now, Lance_.

Keith swings his legs over the side of the bed and stands. Moving over to the door, he presses the button to tell him that he would be there shortly, but Lance quickly enters his room. Ever with a sarcastic smirk on his face, the Red Lion pilot moves over to a lounge chair and promptly makes himself at home.

"I thought you were just here to tell me about dinner?" mumbles Keith as he rubs the back of his neck. That nap did him no good at all, and having 'Mister Nosy Ass' here doesn't help matters any. His dreams were of Allura and knowing how close he had come to satisfying his fantasy earlier made it all the more difficult to find any rest; the scent of her hair, the softness of her skin, the delicious taste of her lips against his…

He groans again, trying to calm his raging hormones and the young lieutenant smiles at the sound, but holds his sharp tongue…for now.

"I was, but with the way that you've been acting lately, I figured you needed a talk session," says Lance, leaning his chair back to get more comfortable.

An icy cold stare glares back at him before his captain speaks. "What makes you think I need to talk? I've had my psych eval already this month."

"Come on, man…this is Lance you're talking to!"

Sighing heavily, Keith stares him in his face; breaking the connection before he could actually learn what he's thinking. He makes his way back to the bed and sits down, leaning back; trying to find the right words to express his thoughts without giving too much away. "I've had a few things bothering me…"

"That's an understatement…""Do you want to hear this or what? I could very easily just leave you to your own imagination."

The young lieutenant lets out a strange grunt. "I don't think you wanna do that." He immediately ducks as an object is hurled at him to bounce off the wall behind his head. "Whew, I'm glad my reflexes are so good."

Keith let out a stronger grunt, "No, you're just lucky. Do you want to hear this or not?"

Lance waves his hand and gets settled to hear something that he's been waiting to hear for years now, and he isn't the only one.

"Remember what I told you about our link?"

Needing to be smart, "Who?"

Keith scowls, "Allura's and mine! You know, you can really be an asshole!"

"No, a whole ASS! Finish…"

The Black Lion pilot runs his fingers through his hair as he tries to find the right words. He doesn't know how much he should tell him about what's happening between himself and Allura. They swore that they would not tell anyone, but…it's getting to be harder than he thought.

"Have you said anything to Dr. Gorma about your insomnia? You know you have been having a rough time sleeping since like…_forever_!" offers Lance with a sardonic grin on his face, cutting into Keith's indecision on what to say.

"You know that this has nothing to do with any damn insomnia!' Keith exclaims, eyes flashing. Sometimes this guy really did play too much!

"Well, you need to figure out what you can do about this before it starts to affect your piloting skills, Commander," says Lance dryly.

The Voltron captain stands and starts to pace the room in response. This is not going well… Eventually, Lance is going to find out, but the question…what is he going to do with the information. A comforting presence enters his mind and he feels calmer. _**You always seem to know when I need you…**_

_**You'll always need me…just like I'll always need you…**_

Ever since their discovery of their link, she doesn't have to be in his sight to feel his stress and confusion; it's that strong, but now they can communicate…almost as if being in the same room. There is still so much to understand about their psychic bonding; things that are frightening as well as arousing. He doesn't want her to feel like she's being rushed; the term soul mates was never made any more clear to him until he met his headstrong princess. It is more of a comfort than he first thought, but the problem comes in when they start to feel the bond growing passionate…to the point of no return. That connection has a beautiful power that turns their bonding into an exquisite joining. He smiles wistfully; there really aren't any words to describe it all…

All the time he is pacing, Lance takes a good look at his friend. He can see the frustration and turmoil that is running across his friend's features and suddenly wishes he didn't goad him into trying to talk about it. He was just being nosy anyway; just wanting to hear it come from him, but it's obvious that he's not ready yet.

He's not ready to tell him about their connection and what it all entails…

_Time to let him off the hook._ "Keith, don't worry about it, I was just messing with you. Everyone knows the shrink game never works with you." Lance smiles broadly before adding, "But it didn't hurt to try!"

Another projectile heads his way and he's not quick enough this time to dodge it. It lands smack on his chest and he collapses to regain the breath that was just knocked out of him.

Keith laughs and folds his arms across his chest observing his friend doubled over in pain. "Serves you right!"

"Yeah, maybe," gasps Lance, still trying to breathe.

"We need to get ready for dinner. Let me jump in the shower and I'll meet you there. You know how Nanny is when anyone is late," states Keith as he dismisses him and moves over to the sliding doors that lead to his closet. Taking the hint, Lance, still clutching his chest, makes his way to the door. "See you at the commissary."

Keith nods and pretends that he's trying to find something suitable. Actually, he is trying to find a way to get out of sitting with everyone. He places his hand on the door frame and sighs; he can still taste her…knowing that she'll be there; looking at him with those beautiful sapphire eyes. Dinner will be the first test…

He thinks about reaching back out to her, but changes his mind quickly…the shower just doesn't feel the same anymore! Laughing to himself, he gets ready to meet the guys.

_

* * *

_

Allura stares at her reflection for the hundredth time, making sure that she didn't miss anything. Her gown is an ocean blue, making her eyes turn a dark teal. To make herself more desirable, she picked a gown that had a lower neckline than usual, her breasts threatening to spill forth. _Nanny will have a heart attack, but this is for him…my one true love_. The skirt falls softly around her hips and the sleeves are cupped at her shoulders. For the last touch, she puts a dab of her favorite perfume in the valley between her breasts. Sighing, she pushes back a stray strand of hair and straightens her back. Usually, it doesn't take her this long to get ready for dinner, but after the interlude in the hall with the Commander, her nerves have been rattled way more than usual. The emotions they shared were pleasurably suffocating; intense and wild, increasing in strength from the ones she has been having up until now. Those were gentle and sweet, not at all like the ones she was having while in his arms earlier. An erotic shiver runs down her spine at the thoughts; she never dreamed she could feel him all over, inside and out. Especially since she has been able to meld with his thoughts…knowing that she can talk to him whenever she wants is most comforting in these unsure times. He's her beloved protector…always has been and will always be. A tingle starts in her secret regions and she has to gasp at the sensation. Pictures of his hands drifting over her highly sensitive skin run through her subconscious and a light flush covers her face. Her mind reaches out to him and is shocked with the thoughts that he's having.

_**I'm sorry…I couldn't help myself…it has been too long since we have been together!**_

A pause…_**You have the uncanny ability to find me in the shower...should I take this as a hint?**_

Taking a deep breath and calming her nerves, she forces down those primal urges and checks the mirror again to make sure that nothing in her appearance has changed. She smiles and returns, _**Don't know…want to try it?**_ She can feel his ardor rising and she gently withdraws from his conscious. She has definitely given him an idea…and she hopes he follows up on it. But, there is definitely something she cannot deny…

…she wants more.

"Princess, are you coming? Dinner's getting cold," calls Nanny. Allura snaps out of her reverie as she watches for the door to open. She figured that Nanny would be here soon looking for her. The doors slide open and the stout woman comes in, chattering to no one. The princess smiles at her governess. _I know she means well, but the over protective bit is wearing thin. Stars know if she ever found out what was going on between me and Keith…she would kill us both._

A secretive smile comes across her face again, _Maybe it's worth it_…

"Nanny, I was on my way. Have the others shown up yet?"

Moving over to her to make sure that her tiara is placed on her head properly, Nanny pats her hair and musses up the long tresses that Allura had taken hours to untangle. "You should really put your hair up…oh my goodness, Allura! What in the name of the lions are you wearing?!"

She grimaces before answering, "I wanted to wear something light…and most definitely not pink this time! And, I like my hair down." _Actually, I know that Keith likes it down, but she doesn't need to know that._

"I wish you would act more like a princess and leave all that other nonsense alone. You need to dress more appropriately and you don't need to be worrying about…"

Sighing and closing her eyes, Allura replies in an exasperated voice, "I know, I know. But this is my planet and I'm its only ruler. I must do as I see fit and if that means being hands on, then so be it." She turns quickly to stare into Nanny's eyes as she makes her last statement. "And that includes being the pilot of Blue Lion and wearing this dress!"

Allura has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the puffed up expression turning Nanny's face beet red. Her voice sputters, trying to find the best thing to say in retort, but chooses to remain quiet. These arguments will continue, it seems, and no head way is being made. "Well, you need to get to the dining hall," sputters the governess as she turns and makes her way out the room. Allura takes one last look in her vanity mirror…finally satisfied with herself, she makes her way to the hall.

The twinkling lights above the table set a festive mood as the members of the Force enter to take their seats. As is the usual custom for any meal, Hunk is the first one in the room, heading straight for the buffet that Nanny has laid out for the night. At a close second is his little buddy, Pidge and Lance trots up behind him a few seconds later. They both stop at the door and observe the big guy take a deep whiff of the spread.

"You inhale any deeper and you won't need your mouth to eat…everything will be sucked into your nose!" laughs Lance as he watches his friend's face turn red with the teasing. Pidge can't help but double over with laughter and Hunk then takes the opportunity to head over to where they are, to confront his tormentors. "You know how I am about food," he gives in explanation.

"Yeah, we know. That's why we have to run down here when it's chow time, to make sure we can get something before you eat it all!" supplies Pidge, grabbing his stomach for laughing so hard. Hunk rubs the back of his neck and flushes an even darker red.

"Enough, let's get to the grub!" says Lance and they all head to the table for their plates. "Shouldn't we wait for Keith and the Princess?" asks the Green Lion pilot as he places a roll on his plate.

"They'll get here soon. You know Hurricane Nanny will bring Allura in here…Keith on the other hand…"

"On the other hand, what?"

They all turn to the door and watch him head over to them. "I thought we might be missing you for the night, you know with all of your dedication to Garrison reports!" continues Lance as he finishes making his plate and heads for the table.

"Funny…you knew I'd be here," returns the Commander as he helps himself to the fare. Easing past Hunk, he moves to his seat at the table and gets comfortable.

Being the first one in and the last one at the buffet is the normal agenda for Hunk as he carries two plates to his seat. "I wasn't worried," he says, placing a piece of bread into his mouth.

"You weren't even thinking about him. Food was your only worry and how much of it you can devour!" Everyone smiles at the statement from Pidge and Hunk takes this time to stick his tongue out at him before taking a large forkful of food. Not paying any attention to the door, they miss Allura sliding in and quietly making her way to the buffet. For some reason, she didn't think she could handle all eyes on her right now, especially since she can't clear her mind of the erotic thoughts of her handsome commander. She almost makes it to the food when a thought hits her, _**Keep it together, my Princess…I long to be with you again as well!**_ A nervous smile spreads on her face until she is spotted…

"Hey, when did you get here?" asks Pidge, quickly chewing the food he just put in his mouth.

"Trying to be sneaky, are we?" smirks Lance, winking at her. She blushes furiously as she tries to place some food on her plate, listening to the snickers of laughter behind her. Straightening her back and turning to face them, she moves over to her seat and sits down. Keith tries unsuccessfully to divert his gaze from her and that lightening quick flash of desire he experienced earlier makes its appearance once more. He shifts in his seat and Lance smirks again, seeing his discomfort.

"Are you okay, Cap? You seem to be having a little problem…" Lance continues. He just will not stop trying to figure out the details of Keith and Allura's new involvement. Allura has to bite her lip to keep from laughing, even though she has not been the brunt of the ribbing yet, she's sure that he will get to her when he realizes that Keith will not tell him anything. If there is anything she knows about her ardent lover is that he tends to like to keep things private, and this is definitely one of those things.

As much as she wants to be able to tell the world how she feels about him, having it come back in her face is not what either one of them wants.

She stares intently at her plate, but she pushes her food around…not wanting to eat anything. Keith sees that she is agitated about something and sends to her,

_**Are you okay, Allura?**_

She jerks up at the thought and looks in his direction, confused. _**I can't help the way I'm feeling…I don't want to wait any longer…**_

He is suddenly hit with a crashing wave of desire…and he's rocked back in his seat. All of the longing and pent-up emotion that she has been harboring ever since that night is projected to him and his body is responding to the onslaught. Now, his meal has lost its appeal and he yearns to go somewhere quiet with her…

The rest of the meal goes off without any more incidents; until Lance decides to toss a grape at Hunk's head. Hunk frowns and hurls the offending projectile back at him, hitting him in the face. Lance stands and announces loudly, "FOOD FIGHT!!!!" and the room comes alive with action. Pidge ducks to the side with a handful of grapes, pelting Hunk with them. Smiling, Hunk returns, "You gotta be better than that!" and he hurls a roll back, smacking him in the head.

"Not fair!" he calls and he throws the rest of the bunch he has at him. Laughing hysterically, Allura ducks as a piece of bread sails by her face. She peeks up just in time to have a grape hit her in her nose…

"Hey! I don't have anything to do with this!" she exclaims, but more grapes are thrown her way, so she has to duck under the table. She watches the floor being covered with food and scraps…shaking her head at the fact that Nanny is gonna kill them for this!

"Dammit, will you guys get a grip!" hollers Keith and is promptly hit in the face with a piece of fruit. Not being able to resist, he grabs a roll and hurls it at Lance…knowing that it was his sneaky ass that hit him. Lance catches it on his shoulder and laughs uncontrollably.

Hunk and Pidge head for separate corners…armed with bread and looking for an easy target. Lance hides behind a tapestry with his hands full of makeshift ammunition. He sees that Keith hasn't gotten the hint yet and instantly hits him with two more bread missiles. Keith stares at the group of them giggling behind their makeshift forts, but has the sense of mind to dive under the table to escape the volley of rolls being hurled between the three of them. Shaking his head, he listens to their mock battle cries as bread flies around the room. He moves back a little to stay out of target range, when he brushes up against something soft. Turning, he stares into the stunning face of beloved.

"Funny finding you down here!" he says softly, aware of their link being stimulated…

Allura gazes into his eyes as is instantaneously transported into their secret realm, where there are only two inhabitants. _**Keith…**_

_**Princess…**_ he returns and he raises his hand to caress her cheek…bringing her closer…

"Hey! I'm out of ammo!" announces Hunk.

"Me too! We gotta stop…" adds Pidge.

"Yeah, before Hurricane Nanny comes in here and really cleans house!" says Lance, stunning the aroused couple as they reluctantly break their connection to examine the damage. As they come out from under the table, they can't believe their eyes…

Lance is picking up the plates that had inadvertently been knocked on the floor while Pidge and Hunk are trying to find a cleaner to sweep up the floor. The room looks as if it were hit by a bomb…and Allura can't help but break out into an uproarious bit of laughter. Keith looks at her incredulously, but starts to chuckle as well. Seeing the guys quickly start up the robotic cleaner to straighten up before the governess comes back, Keith and Allura can't stop laughing as the other three throw killing stares at them.

"You could help, you know!" Lance gripes and Keith shakes his head. "We didn't start this…so we'll leave you to your chores!" He takes Allura by her elbow and escorts her out the room, still trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard.

"How come they don't have to help?" asks Pidge and it earns him another hit with a forgotten piece of bread.

"Let's just hurry up and get this cleaned…" grouches Lance, but he keeps the fact that they are leaving this room _together_ in the back of his mind. _What are they up to?_ He thinks as he picks up another disgusting plate and puts it into the trash receptacle built into the cleaner.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay...busy, busy, busy!

Thank you all for your support and all the reviews are greatly appreciated...

Enough of my mouth...

I present...

**Chapter Three**

Keith and Allura walk down the hallway in silence, but the tension between them is so thick that anyone coming upon them would probably be able to sense it…it has become so tangible. Neither one dares to say anything, or even attempt to touch one another. They move quickly into the pilots' quarters and head straight to his room. He keys in his code and lets her enter first before coming in behind her and locking the sliding door. They stand facing each other…then he moves slowly toward her to take her hand. He finds his hand trembling slightly and sees her whole body shiver with the light contact.

_**We don't have to do this…**_ he starts, but the glare of longing in her eyes stops any more denials…

_**Yes, we do!**_ and she launches herself at him, knocking him back into the wall. He smiles as he takes her in his arms and succumbs to the temptation of running his fingers through her hair. As his fingers lightly graze her scalp, she lets her head fall back; exposing her neck to his avid gaze. With the lightest touch, he uses the tip of his tongue and traces invisible lines across her collarbone. She moans and runs her hands through his silky hair, as black as night. As he teases her by tasting the creamy skin straining against the edge of her gown, he whispers huskily, "I have to admit that I have been dreaming about doing this all day."

She tries to clear her hazed mind to send to him, _**Show me your feelings, dark warrior…**_

He brings his gaze back to hers and stares deeply into her…sharing his fantasy with her…

_They are standing at the edge of a striking ocean landscape…the calm waters gently lapping at their feet, but they don't notice. All they can see is the passion and unconditional love that they have for each other…_

_**Keith, I am almost ashamed that I don't have any control over my lustful feelings for you. I should be able to be in the same room with you and not act like a love-sick schoolgirl.** Allura says as she moves away from him briefly…wrapping her arms around her waist to at least act like she's restraining herself. Keith lowers his head, feeling her shame. She shouldn't have to hide from him…she doesn't have to hide anymore._

_**My courageous princess…what you feel is not anything to be ashamed of. What we have cannot be denied any more than the air that we breathe.** He walks over to her and takes her hand, raising it to kiss her palm. Before letting her go, he lightly licks it and their arousal level rises ever higher. **My love, never be afraid of how we feel. We may not be able to express it to everyone, but we have our own ways of continuing to show it to one another…** His arms come around her and the comforting feeling that he always exudes surrounds her and gives her a strength that she never knew she needed until now._

_**I don't want to seem too forward…** she starts._

_**Never…**_

_She moves her hand and caresses the nape of his neck. His eyes close as her touch invokes his deepest desire. His body tightens when she kisses him at the base of his neck. **I want to know it all…will you please show me? Show me how to love you…**_

_His body hardens as he slowly lowers his head to kiss her…_

Their lips dance wildly…their hands continually teasing one another. Keith wraps his hand in her luxurious hair, fisting it and twisting her head into a position where he can take full control. As the dream unfolds in their subconscious, the overwhelming passion it creates raises their libidos to an almost unbearable level. The Voltron Commander moans urgently as his lips continue to taste the sweet skin of her neck, murmuring the very essence of his soul to her, "Allura, do you know how much I love and adore you? Do you know how you fill my thoughts every minute of the day and every second during the night?"

She can't speak, only feel and let him know in that way how deeply his love fills her. He lets his hands run over her back and down to cup her buttocks, bringing her closer to him. She feels the straining hardness in his uniform and wiggles her arms in between them to gently caress the bulge. Keith's body flinches, not expecting her to willingly stroke him there.

"Allura…Allura…" he strains to say, but the steady stroking is choking him. He throws his head back and a carnal groan escapes him. Encouraged by his unbridled surrender, she innocently slides her hands back up his torso until she reaches the zipper on his uniform. Staring at him hungrily, she places her lips at the base of his neck again, letting her lips follow the zipper down his body. Inch after agonizing inch of heated skin is exposed to her admiring eyes; once the zipper reaches the dark patch of hair on his groin, she stops; teasing the hair with her sweet breath. He waits with bated breath to see what she wants to do next…and he doesn't have to wait long. She stands back up to look him in the eye again, and then she lowers her hands...along with his uniform and briefs. The offending clothes pool around his ankles, but she refuses to look down. He can see the slight bit of fear in her eyes and he leans in to kiss her softly. "Relax, my heart…take your pleasure…"

She smiles as she waits for him to bend and take off his boots along with the fallen pile of clothes. He stands, proud and handsome…and awaiting her. She steps back to take in his whole appearance and her body ignites. Her eyes zero in on his tattoo, giving her an idea to tease him a bit. She slowly shakes out her hair and lets it fall in rippling waves around her shoulders. Stunned, he watches her start to perform an impromptu striptease. Her eyes turn lazy as she runs her hands along the sides of her body, caressing herself sensually…turning herself away from him. She reaches around to grab hold of her zipper, which wasn't actually located on her back. As she slowly pulls down her zipper, his eyes darken to a coal black and he has to force himself to refrain from touching her. The luminous gown loosens and comes off her shoulders as she shyly looks over her shoulder back at him. She raises her arms over head and lets the gown fall to the floor, leaving her in nothing but a blue pair of panties. The sight of her deliciously rounded buttocks and sweet curves make his throbbing shaft jump in anticipation, but he still doesn't interrupt her dance. She sways her hips a little, as if in a trance from a snake charmer, and he is entirely seduced. Her dance concludes and before she turns to face him, she modestly covers her breasts. An impatient part of him wants to pull her arms away so he can let his eyes feed on her exquisite beauty, but this is her game. She comes in closer to him, stopping when she is within centimeters of touching him. Then she raises her arms over her head again, slithering her body like a snake against his…letting her engorged breasts imprint themselves against his fiery chest. Her nipples pucker and stand up proudly, begging him to take them. Her passion-filled gaze locks with his as she whispers deeply, "My lord…my Black Lion knight…I am yours to use for your every whim and pleasure…"

He reaches forward, his loins filled to bursting at her sexy display. He wraps her in his loving embrace only to plunder her mouth savagely. His body pleads for release, but he takes his time. She responds completely, pressing her heated body against his, needing to be as close as she can to him. Keith picks her up and carries her to his bed…spreading her out across his comforter to allow her to relax. He stands back to look at her, admiring how right it is to have her here…in his bed…underneath him…

He climbs on top of her and braces himself on his forearms to just look at her. Her pleading glance, her fluttering lashes, her trembling lips…all make her more lovely than he has ever seen her. "Damn, you're beautiful…" he murmurs and he lowers his lips to hers. His tongue pushes between her lips and rubs along the inside of her lip. She opens and their tongues begin an arousing dance that has the both of them panting. Her hands grip his hair, keeping him close to her. He lowers the bottom half of his body to rub against her teasingly. She pushes her hips into his and her eyes plead with him to end her torment.

_**So impatient, love…**_ he tells her and he lowers his lips to her hardened nipples. She arches her body into his chest…her mind shutting down to everything but the intense emotions that are joined between them. He kisses his way down to her panties, dipping his tongue in her navel before going lower. Anticipation floods her every nerve and she gyrates her hips to indicate what she wants. He slowly hooks them with his fingers and pulls them down…placing a fiery kiss on her golden mound of curls. Her breathing stops for a quick second, hoping to feel his lips there again. But as his hands pull the panties off her ankles, he moves up past the aching core and returns to her breasts…dissolving the disappointment she's feeling. His hand comes up to caress her right breast as his mouth works on the left one, nipping the nipple, then laving it lovingly with his tongue. Her body writhes in pleasure…her legs wrap around his to help push his manhood into her.

Keith smiles at the wanton display she's giving him, the liquid heat pouring from her womanhood gently covering his shaft. He lifts his head to look into her eyes…the dream is imitating real life now…

_They are laying in the softest sand imaginable…his body covering hers, her legs entangled with his. He sees her eyes glaze over and her breath coming in short, tortured pants. He continues to caress her right breast and to tease her some more, slowly grinding against her. **Keith, please…I…oh…Keith…** her stuttered speech is followed by her spreading her legs as wide as they can go, letting him settle in completely on her cavern of sweetness. Her bucking hips press on him and his shaft slides in a little. Realizing what that did, she tries again and he pulls back, **Let me finish, my love…**_

_Not wanting to wait anymore, he slides in slowly, letting his gaze lock with hers. He's determined to examine each expression she makes as he sheathes himself, so he watches as her eyes open wide, then, a look of arresting ecstasy gradually conceals the surprise of the initial entry…then finally, contentment. He stops once fully surrounded by her liquid heat, preparing himself to move into her slowly; his hands gripping her hips as he keeps driving into her as deep as he can go. A sense of completeness washes over him and he buries his face in the side of her neck. She wraps her arms around him, lightly scratching his back…increasing his arousal. He thrusts harder as her legs wrap higher around his waist, granting him a greater access. Her moans increase with frequency as does his thrusts. He rises on his hands and angles himself to keep his shaft deep within her…their connection mentally magnifying their connection physically and he can actually feel himself touch her soul. A single tear rolls down his face as he rumbles out a masculine purr. Their peak of ecstasy grows larger…the light gets closer and he plunges faster. Allura undulates under him, steadily keeping rhythm. Her head tosses and tears roll down her face as she feels everything about him._

_**Black Lion…** she starts, but the pleasure increases to a point where she is rendered speechless, in mind and body. His mind concentrates on the looming pleasure and zeros in on it…_

His body glistens with moisture and his eyes are closed…breathing, ragged. He wants to prolong the release, but this is feeling too good to keep in. "Allura, my sweet love…let go!"

"Yes, Keith…" she murmurs breathlessly as she bucks her hips once more, screaming her joy along with his carnal growl of release. The simultaneous culmination sends shockwaves through the both of them, draining them of any strength they may have left. He collapses on her and their breathing slowly returns to normal. He doesn't withdraw from her immediately, but when it seems as if he would…she locks her legs about his waist to keep him within her.

"Don't leave me yet. I adore feeling you inside me," she whispers. He nods against her shoulder, too exhausted to move or protest…their minds wiped of all strength. All that is left is that calm ocean scene, where they lay snuggled together and totally at peace. She snuggles down underneath him and closes her eyes…his body and warmth enveloping her in a safe cocoon. Her eyes drift closed as she feels his breathing normalize and slow to an even rhythm.

* * *

3:15 am...and his eyes try to focus on the room around him. A glorious weight prevents him from turning over and he lifts his head a little to see her. Her golden hair is splayed out over him, while her head rests on his chest. Her left leg is thrown over him and her arm wraps around his waist. He smiles as her breath tickles his nipple again, the same effect that happened before…and he has the same thought…he doesn't want her to go. He sighs as he stares at her prone form, lightly caressing her back. This time, he truly touched her…and not in just the physical way. He saw a serenity and peace that he has never known existed…joined her in an oasis of pure love and desire that goes beyond anything ever known. Their joined orgasm was indescribable…and something that he craves to have more of. A bonding like this is rare…only for soul mates…

And he has found his…

He carefully slides out from under her and heads to the bathroom. Nude, he stands in front of the mirror and stares into his reflection, almost as if looking for any kind of change in himself. He sees nothing but a sparkle in his eye and a silly grin on his lips. He turns on the water and bends to rinse his face off; when he feels warm hands rub along his hips, one hand moving dangerously over his tattoo. He straightens up quickly and looks into sleepy blue eyes. Turning, he takes her by her arms and gently rubs them. She pouts prettily before saying, "I got cold…"

Laughing, he guides her back into the bedroom and lies back down on the bed. He pats the space beside him, but she forgoes that and climbs on top of him, settling in under his chin. As he pulls the covers over them as best he can, he murmurs in her ear, "How was I ever blessed with someone like you? My true heart's desire…I love you."

The drowsy princess sighs, "I wish I could stay here…I love sleeping in your arms. I'm afraid it's going to get to the point where I'm not going to be able to sleep without you."

He kisses her forehead, "I know, but we have to take this slow. We have to be careful about how and where we meet…and I'm sorry that it has been so long…" and he hugs her closer as he finishes his thought, "…our lives are not completely all our own…we know this. What time we get, I will cherish until the day comes where we won't have to hide." Allura looks up at him and gently kisses his lips, "You have been and will be my only love, my dark warrior." Their lips meet again hungrily, only to have him pull back before it gets even harder to let her go. He cups her chin, "And what was this surprise you had for me?"

"Oh!" she exclaims and jumps up to reach for her gown. She feels in her pocket for something and once she has it, lifts back up to look at him. He has a bemused look on his features and she smiles. Taking his hand, she places something small in the palm and closes his fingers around it. "Take this with all the love I have for you, my Lord Protector. Wear it with my blessing…"

Confused, Keith opens his hand and stares at the most beautiful ring that he has ever seen. The ring is made out of solid gold, but the stones on it are obsidian. It is shaped like a large cat…a lion to be exact and the eyes glitter its dark mystery. The voice he speaks with is husky with emotion, "My lady, where did you get this?"

"It was my father's…the symbol of the Black Lion. You deserve it and I wanted you to have it. It is said it will protect you and Voltron." His eyes shimmer with unshed tears as he places another heated kiss in her palm. "I will wear this with pride, and with the love you have freely given me. Do with me as you will…I am yours…"

She grasps his face and kisses him longingly, her tongue teasing as his once did. He places the ring on his finger hurriedly before being devoured by the fevered kisses of his princess. Their minds blend once more and the passion rises to unbearable levels. As his lips devour hers, he minutely remembers that they are supposed to part ways now…but the lions know, it's almost impossible!

He pulls back and caresses her hair, sending her some comfort along with some of the frustration of them having to part. "We knew this was going to be hard…" She wraps him in a tight embrace, "I know, but the more we touch, the more I can't leave you..." Regretfully, she sits up and pulls the covers around her modestly…tears falling from her eyes. He grimaces at the intense feeling of loss and pain that she is projecting now and he wishes that he could do more to ease their suffering. The handsome pilot sits up and kisses her gently. _**I'll walk you back to your room…** _

She nods and they both get dressed. He leads her to the door, peeking out first to see if any of the roving guards are nearby. With the coast clear, he takes her back down the hall into the East Wing area, their steps slowing when they get closer to her rooms. He waits as she punches in her code and enters…turning back to the door when she realizes he's not following. "Please, come in…I won't keep you," she swears and he cocks an eyebrow…feeling her deception, but saying nothing. He walks in and she locks the door, moving over to the bed.

"Tuck me in," she says and she disrobes quickly. His eyes ignite as he watches her naked body scurry around to find something to wear. Finding nightgown draped on the edge of the bed, she pulls it over her head, throwing her discarded clothes on a nearby chair. A soft moan of disappointment projects from Keith and she smiles at him, feeling the same disappointment. As she climbs in, Keith pulls the drapes and dims the lights…giving the room a soothing aura. She settles in and plumps up her pillows, waiting for him. He stands by the far wall, looking at her in the dim lamplight, wanting so much to join her there and not for sleeping…

_**Stay with me until I sleep…**_

_**Allura…that isn't wise…**_

Her eyes beg to him, _**Please, my love…let me fall asleep in your warmth…**_

He nods and comes over to sit beside her. She moves over and waits for him to remove his boots to climb in. Keith settles under her covers and pulls her into his embrace…she snuggles under his chin to get comfortable and sighs contentedly. He strokes her hair and their minds blend into a chasm of restfulness…taking them both to sleep…

* * *

About an hour later, Keith stirs, knowing that he should be back in his quarters. He gently shifts out from under her and watches her settle into the spot he has just vacated. A wistful sigh escapes him and he turns for the door. Keying in the unlock code, he leaves…checking the hall again to make sure that no one sees him leaving the Princess's room. As he walks back to his room, he decides to take a detour into Castle Control. The control room is dimly lit and the humming noises of the monitors are the only sounds he hears. Keith walks over to the main terminal and starts to punch in some commands, checking all the roving patrols and the long ranges sensors that were nearly destroyed when Lotor attacked a few weeks ago. Every response he expects to get is received and he nods at the short time that they do. _Pidge must have been working over time to get these up to speed..._he thinks. Ashe sits in the command chair and continues to monitor the screens, he realizes that the whole idea was to get more rest, but after spending most of the night in Allura's arms; sleeping alone doesn't sound too appealing. He concentrates on the events of the past weeks and shudders to think of what have happened if Lotor would have had more time alone with her. She had told him of his attempts, but she is only so strong and it would have killed him inside to have her violated in that way. He can only imagine how Sven must have felt when he found out about Romelle…and she was able to fight back from it. He absently rubs his hand across his chest and a strong flash of anger rushes through him. When will there be a time where they don't have to fight anymore? When will there be a time that they can be together and not have to worry about what kind of consequences will come from it?

As he ponders this, the thought does hit him…one of the consequences of being lovers is that she could get pregnant. As a precaution against Lotor, Allura had started to take a medicine that prohibited her from conceiving, just in case Lotor did succeed in his conquest…but as in every type of medication like this, the slim possibility of failure is still there. And as much as he would love to watch her grow big with his child, the not-being-married thing would make it nearly unbearable for the both of them. And the Prince Consort thing…it's almost too much to think about. Sighing, he punches up another quadrant and his eyes fall on the ring that she so lovingly gave him. The dark eyes twinkle up at him and he can feel the fierceness of the love she has for him. He runs his finger over it and can almost swear that the cat purrs from the contact. It is then that he notices a faint blip on the screen. Moving in closer, he sees that it is traveling south in the direction of the Planet Titus, but it stops short at a remote planet called Dairuden. No distress signal is triggered, so it must have been a scheduled stop…

…but that planet has been deserted for more than three years.

_Something to keep an eye on_, he thinks to himself as he continues to scan the other quadrants. The Voltron Commander scans until his eyes are heavy with fatigue, but with a quick look at the atomic clock, he realizes that it's time for lion practice. He rests his head on the console and breathes heavy…perfect time for him to want to fall asleep! After kicking himself in the head mentally for a few minutes, he stands and heads for his room to take a short shower to wake him up.

* * *

He enters the room and the first thing that invades his senses is the faint scent of her perfume. A wicked smile crosses his face as he remembers all the illicit details of their night here. He goes over to her side of the bed and lifts the pillow to his face, inhaling her sweet scent of Arusian lilies. His body tightens and he can sense her response in a room on the other end of the castle. He shuts down…not wanting to drive her into a sexual tizzy again. He heads into the bathroom and starts his shower, doing his damndest not to think of her while in here. The last time he allowed that to happen…

* * *

"Allura, it's time for practice. Get up, you slug-a-bed!" calls Nanny as she scurries around getting the Princess's clothes together for her day with the Voltron Force. She has yet to accept the fact that her charge is a pilot as much as she is the ruler of this planet, but arguing with her is getting to be too redundant and it doesn't do any good anyway.

Allura grumbles and turns over, not wanting to hear anything about waking up. Her body is still a little sore…not yet used to all the attention that it had received the previous night. She smiles secretly, savoring the aches because of why she has them. She stretches like a cat and slides over to the side of the bed. As she does, she catches a whiff of his after shave on her pillow and closes her eyes dreamily. Again, she reaches out to him and finds him still getting ready for practice.

_**How are you able to function this morning?**_ she asks him and she can feel him laugh.

_**Strenuous training, my love. You'll get used to it after some time**_

She blushes, _**Strenuous training, is it?**_

_**The best kind…**_

The beautiful princess laughs, drawing her nosy governess's eyes to her. "Allura, you need to get into the bathroom! As much as I don't like you going up in those lions, I dislike lateness even more…get moving!"

She gets up slowly and moves into the bathroom, still laughing.

"And stop all that laughing! What is so funny anyway?"

She turns to Nanny and smiles brightly, "Oh, I was just remembering a joke I heard yesterday." Nanny shakes her head and Allura turns back to the bathroom, smothering her giggles.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay...:)

_Yeah, now she says something! This is your friendly neighborhood devil here and I am introducing another one of my masterpieces...only I can give the introductions justice! LMAO I want to thank my "best" friend Cypher and my road dogs; Diablo, Lucifer, and Sultan._

_This is for you...:)_

_**I **now present..._

**Chapter Four**

In Castle Control, they still have some finishing touches to work on; the monitors to the southside are still not functioning and the alarms are still being calibrated but it's pretty much all back in working order. Keith is already there, having not had much sleep. He watches as the rest of the team assembles in the main room. Hunk, Pidge and even Lance are gearing up, but he has yet to see the Princess…

"Have you guys seen Princess Allura?" he asks and Lance shakes his head. "Haven't seen her since you two left together after dinner…which reminds me, where did you two disappear to? We went to the rec room and you guys weren't there…"

Keith gives him a hard stare, "We went for a walk in the gardens." Pidge speaks up now, "But we scanned the gardens and…"

"Shut up, Pidge…do you see the look on his face? Don't go there," the big guy hisses quietly as he notices Keith's jaw tightening. The discussion ends just in time as Coran and Nanny walk into the control room. Coran walks over to the team and clears his throat , gaining everyone's attention, "Good morning, team. This morning will be dedicated to running high speed drills and recalibrating targeting sights. I want to make sure that our monitors are in sync with the lions."

"I understand. All pilots to the lions!" calls Keith and they head to the chutes. He looks at the doorway and sees the Princess running towards him. She stops at a reasonable distance in front of him and she smiles. He pays close attention her shortness of breath and flushed cheeks and suddenly the picture changes as he remembers the same expression as he is on top of her, pushing into her over and over…

_**Be careful, Captain…we don't want you too distracted!**_

Keith grimaces, _**Just being around you is a distraction…but now I have erotic reminders of how much of one you can be!**_

Allura smiles brightly and places her helmet on her head. "Let's go, Commander. We're wasting time!"

He chuckles and follows her to the chutes. Coran, having observed the display, has a small frown forming on his lips. A strangely distressing feeling of doom surrounds him and he shakes his head. _The feelings that the princess and her captain have for each other have been evident to just about everyone, and it seems that now they have finally told each other, but at what cost?_

* * *

The lions launch and take up formation on the other side of the Alterian Mountains. Keith is prepared to call the lead when he notices his ring flashing. Taken aback, he watches in amazement as the stones start to shine brighter and brighter. For a brief moment, he's taken to a place so dark and sinister that he can actually feel his blood turn cold. He can see two figures, but they are hazed by a dense fog…the voices are familiar, one being female. But just as soon as he has the vision, it's gone and the mountains are getting dangerously closer…

"Keith! Watch out!" hollers Lance. Keith brings Black Lion out of the collision course with the peak within seconds. He shakes his head as if to clear it and refocuses on the tasks at hand.

"Keith, what the hell were you doing?! This is a training session for targeting, not make ourselves the damn targets!" calls the Red Lion pilot. The captain is still dazed, still trying to understand what has just happened. Another voice comes over the intercom…a softer one. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Keith smiles, knowing that she had felt his confusion earlier and was concerned that she didn't understand it anymore than he did. He sends to her, _**I need to talk to you later about what I felt. I think it's trying to tell me something…**_

_**What is?**_

_**Your father's ring.**_

There is a short pause, _** Maybe I can talk to Coran. He knows a lot more about the mystical dealing of my family than I do.**_

He nods to himself and continues to run the drills. "Alright team, we have to track the targeting sequences for Castle Control. To recalibrate the monitors, we have to give it multiple situations for it to track. Red and Blue, I need you to engage each other in battle. Use whatever is necessary. The battle is to last for twenty minutes then it's Green and Yellow's turn."

"What about you, Fearless Leader? Who gets to fight you?" smirks Lance.

"All of you. Black is supposed to be powerful enough to take it, and I need to see exactly how good we actually are."

"Chief, that's not a smart thing to do…are you sure?" asks Pidge nervously. He has always known that Keith could take just about anything, but he didn't want to be the one to give it to him. Allura's face blanches, she has always had a problem with Keith flying into battle, afraid he might not return, but this drill…

"No, Keith…you can't take on all four!" _**Please, my love…no!**_

"Black needs to be tested…he can handle it. I'll be fine." _**Don't worry, love…**_

She nods, knowing she's not going to get him to back down. The fear gripping her heart swells as she gets into position. "Allura…Lance, engage!"

Blue and Red Lion enter into the upper part of the stratosphere and rev up their weapons systems. "Lance, I want you to let her have it…don't let up....and Allura, take it easy. It will come to you," the Black Lion pilot instructs, but he adds a little more to the princess, _**Give him all you got and pay attention to your sensors. Good luck, love**_

She smiles and then turns all of her attention to the Red Lion in front of her. "Alright, Lance…let's have it!"

"I have been teaching you too many Terran terms! Give me your best shot!"

Two stingray missiles launch from Blue hitting Red directly in his nose. "Nice, didn't expect that. Now, try this!" Red jumps up about ten feet and blazes it ion knife, diving at Blue…

"I don't think so!" she calls and fires her iron claw. Red dodges and throws the knife…hitting Blue on the starboard side. The battle continues, with Allura improving with each blast. Keith smiles proudly, knowing that her reaction timing has gotten a lot better than the last battle. After twenty minutes, both pilots are breathing as if they were the ones actually doing the fighting rather than the lions.

"Good job! Both of you were able to remain engaged. The monitors received a lot of good information about both of you. When we get back, the final reports will be displayed for you…Coran, was that enough?"

"Affirmative, Commander. Ready for the next run…"

"Hunk…Pidge, engage!" He observes Green and Yellow Lions fly out to the same spot the others took and prepare for their mock battle. This time, they decide to use the neutron needles and proton torpedoes. Keith watches the fight, but his mind turns back to the vision that he had earlier…there was something about it that really disturbed him and he needs to know what it is. His attention comes back to the fighting lions when he sees Pidge hit Yellow Lion with a tornado blast. Hunk's lion reels back and tries to regroup, but the little guy pours it on, proton hit after proton hit until Yellow Lion yields.

"Damn, remind me to NEVER make you mad!" says Lance laughingly. Keith smiles and flies Black into position. "That was a good run, Pidge. Now, it's time for you guys to come at me. Remember…use anything and everything you have. Time to power up." The guys smile wickedly, itching to see if they can take down their infallible captain. The only one with any apprehension is Allura, but she doesn't let it show. Keith feels it and sends her a blanket of comfort…letting her know it's alright.

"Alright, team…engage!" Lance fires first, "I have Black Lion in my sights…Yellow Lion, come at him for the rear…Green, from starboard and Blue from port. I'll come head on. Now, on my mark…three…two…one…MARK! Fire lion torches!"

The four lions fire and surround Black with an inferno of fire, but Black just lifts above the assault. "Ion knife!" calls the commander and he flies at Red at top speed. The blade just nicks Red in the port side, but Lance bounds off and flies at him. "Iron claw!" he hollers and Red's claws fly out and strike Black, a direct hit. Keith smiles evilly, "Nice one, but can you keep it up?"

"Bring it on, Mon Capitaine!" and Lance fires proton missiles. Black dodges and launches his own frenzied attack. The other lions pick off the missiles headed their way, returning fire. Keith is doing a remarkable job in protecting Black, then all of a sudden, that horrible vision comes back again…this time stronger and clearer...

_He sees two figures, one pleading for mercy and another cracking a whip. As he tries to move in closer, he sees blood flying everywhere from the body of the voice crying for it to stop. He turns the corner and sees Allura strung up to a wall, covered in gaping slashes and Lotor waving the whip. Horrified, he tries to run to her, but his legs are chained and all he can do is listen to what they are saying…_

"_Please, no more…" she begs and he hits her across the face with the handle of the whip._

_The whip cracks again and she screams as Lotor seethingly hisses at her, "You have betrayed me! I was the one to have you…not that flea-bitten peasant! You have embarrassed me and dishonored my family…I loved you, and you fucked a Terran pilot?! How dare you!! HOW DARE YOU!!!!!" and he slashes it across her again. Keith screams, wanting it to stop…but his cries are covered by loud explosions…_

"Keith…KEITH!!!!! Pull up!" screams Lance. Keith clears his head enough to see the ground coming closer to Black. "Shit!" he cries and he levels his lion out then pulls back up into a steep climb. "What happened? First, you were kicking ass, then you were plummeting to the ground?" calls Pidge. Keith shakes his head and the light touch of the Princess enters his mind. She, too, had seen the vision and is as shaken from it as he is.

_**Keith, what was that? Why is this coming now?**_

_**I don't know…and I don't know who to ask…**_

_**Maybe Coran can help…**_

He nods and brings Black back around to the rest of them. "I think that we should head in now," and he flies Black back to his post. The rest of the team is stunned…they have never seen Keith lose control like that and for no reason. The lions head back to their respective docks and the pilots head to control to see what the hell just happened.

Coran noticed the moment Keith blanked out and the similar response from the Princess, the psychic connection he has with Allura alerted him to the disturbance. He had that premonition that something was going to go wrong, but he never expected this! He switches the lever to raise the tubes and the pilots all enter the control area…Keith and Allura looking dazed. Coran goes immediately to them, "I…know something happened. Tell me…"

Keith looks at him agonizingly, "It was a vision…one where I watched Allura get beaten to within an inch of her life by Lotor and I'm helpless to stop it!"

Coran shudders and turns to the stricken girl, "You saw it too?" and she nods. He frowns, "This is not good…we have to consult someone about this."

"Who? Who can tell me what this is all about?" asks the captain, clearly upset with himself. He knows that he can't do anything about this right now, he knows that this is an area of expertise that he knows nothing about. Allura places her hand on his arm, sending him some comfort through the intense love she has for him and he relaxes some. Coran rushes over to the console and sends out a beacon to a planet near Pollux. "Who are you calling?" she asks and he turns to her, "An old seer that used to live in the palace before the occupancy. He was Alfor's spiritual advisor and he always said that if he was needed to send a signal…he'll know what it is for."

Lance comes over, "Is he still alive?"

"He should be…the last time I saw him he was only a few hundred years old!"

A low whistle comes from Hunk and Pidge shakes his head. "Well, I hope he gets it."

"Shush…something is coming over the radio…"

A faint murmur comes through, soft at first…but now clearer. "Coran, it's been some time. I know what you need and all I need is a transport. I should be there in ten days."

"One will be sent right away. Thank you for responding…"

"Always, my old friend," and the signal dies.

The team looks at Coran as he switches off the commlink and turns back to them. "We won't be able to understand any of this until he gets here…in the meantime, Keith…you must alert me the very next time you get that vision. We have to decide what will be the best course of action, and if it means putting the Princess…"

"Oh no, you will not be putting the Princess anywhere! I'm part of the Voltron Force and I have earned the right to be here in a time of crisis!" she exclaims as she stares Coran down. He realizes that this is not the time to confront her about this…he realizes that she has too much at stake in this…besides, she won't listen anyway, so he nods and tries to change the subject. "The new reports are available in the pilot's lounge, if you want to look at them."

Not really focused on what's going on around him, he nods absently, "From the readings I was getting, they should be great…the meeting doesn't have to be long this morning…"

"Whooheee!" cries Pidge as he jumps in the air. "That means I can get some of my work finished on the new computer tracking system!"

Hunk scratches his head, "Only you would find that fun, little buddy!" the rest of the team laughs, but the humor doesn't reach the captain. His mind is still in turmoil over the vision. Allura senses this and reaches out to him, trying to comfort him. But for the first time since this has started between them, he doesn't respond. Worried, she moves over to him and tries to catch his gaze. Keith does his best not to look at her, his mind making a decision that he knows would kill the both of them. He has to wait though…no need causing any undue distress before its necessary, so he looks down at her and smiles gently to reassure her. He sends her a bit of comfort as well and sees her visibly relax.

Wanting to change the subject, he nods to Pidge and says, "After, we go over the reports, we'll take the afternoon off. The castle still needs repairs in places and I think we can help." Hunk and Pidge smile as they can think of lots of ways to get some more enhancements done on the main control console. Coran smiles at the anxiousness in the pair and tells them, "Well, if that's the case…you can head over to the radar station for a start…" and he doesn't get to finish what he's about to say before they run over to the station and begin their general arguments over what needs to be done. Keith and Allura both chuckle at them, while Lance stands with a sardonic grin on his face. He announces loudly, "Well, I think I'm going to find something else to get myself into!"

Keith can't help it, "Would that something be Katia?" Allura gasps then giggles at the shocked look on Lance's face. The Red Lion pilot looks as if he's ready to explode, but he smiles again and says, "That's for me to know and you to dream about!" Having felt that he redeemed himself, he turns on his heel and heads to the West Wing.

"He's never gonna tell us what is going on, is he?" asks Allura and Keith shakes his head. "He will only tell us what he wants us to know, and when he wants us to know it!" He looks back at her and takes her arm, a wolfish grin spreading on his face..._**Maybe we can find something to get into, as well…**_

She smiles seductively, _**Thought you'd never ask…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_After tackling that idiot and throwing him back into his dungeon..._

Since that idiot wanted to jump the gun and announce the WRONG chapter...I felt he needed a time out! LMAO

Anyway, I appreciate all those that have marked my story for favorites, those that have reviewed, those that have just read, and those that have to put up with my bitching with editing! I love you all and please keep reviewing...it helps me!

As usual, and unlike that idiot...I don't own Voltron...never did and never will!

I present...

**Chapter Five**

Hours later…

Not wanting to be found in their own rooms, yet desperately needed some private time...the enamored pair cuddles close together in a room on the far side of the East Wing. As the sunlight beams down on their sweat-drenched bodies, the raven-haired pilot slowly lets his tongue trace a blazing line down her chest then around her distended nipple. Allura moans softly and arches her back, pushing it further into his mouth. His hands move over her defined stomach and lower to her secret cavern, making her drop her legs open to allow him access to her core, which is screaming for his touch. As his mouth and fingers continue their teasing work, Allura grabs his hair, her body writhing underneath him…her moans urging him on. He lifts his head to gaze into her passion-drugged eyes, _**I'll never tire of your sweet taste…it's intoxicating…**_ he sends as he takes the other nipple into his mouth, sucking long and hard on it. Her mind is in a hazy cloud, trying to answer, _**My fierce protector…the feel of you, the very taste of you is all I need…**_

_**Then, take all you need, my love!**_ he returns and she laughs as he pulls up to kiss her into that coma he has been thinking about. His lips press on hers sensually, his tongue sliding into her mouth to parry with hers. She wraps her arms around his neck, letting her fingers run through his hair. They limit their speech…keeping to only the sendings and the erotic sounds that they can't help but make. Keith turns her on her side away from him and nips her on the side of the neck before he lets his tongue trace the outer shell of her ear. She rubs her buttocks against his hardened member, goading him to complete her. He takes hold of both her breasts as he enters her from behind, groaning as he slides within her. Allura sends urgently, _**Please, my love…I need you…ALL of you!**_ and he changes his stroke, thrusting in and out slowly and deliberately…anchoring himself by teasing her nipples. Allura's breath catches as he begins to pound harder and harder into her. Her hands desperately try to hang on to the bed as he grows more and more passionate with his strokes. Needing to get deeper, he rolls her onto her stomach and rises up on his hands and knees, not allowing himself to withdraw from her honeyed depths. He uses one hand to bring her hips up to him and holds on tight. Closing his eyes, he reaches out to her, to give her all of the passion and need that he holds within him and is greeted with her own powerful response. His body bucks as he drives them to their shining peak.

_**My princess…you are mine…forever!** _he tells her possessively and she moans as the fierceness of the thought penetrates her as deeply as his throbbing shaft.

_**As you are mine, dark warrior…now give me what I desire…**_

_**Gladly…** _and he thrusts harder. She starts to pant erratically and rake her fingers on the sheets. He tightens his grip on her hips and feels his release at the very edge. Her walls begin to vibrate and he shouts his ecstasy in his mind, joining with her triumphant cry as she joins him in release. Breathing heavily, they lay back down…Keith on top of her, his head on her shoulder. He rolls to his back, bringing her to his chest. A lingering kiss passes between them as they settle in for a nap. She looks at him sleepily, smiling brightly at him. He gently removes a stray hair from her face and kisses her on her forehead, "We can't stay here long…they will be looking for us soon."

She sighs and snuggles in, "I can't move a single muscle right now…can we stay here a little bit longer?"

Keith chuckles, "Alright…a short nap, but then we have to get back. Nanny'll start sending the troops if you don't show up in your room in soon." She smiles again and kisses his lips gently before letting her eyes close. The sunlight is heating them even more than they already are, so they forgo the covers. Soon, they are both sleeping soundly, wrapped tightly around each other…almost as if something was coming to separate them.

* * *

Lance quickly heads down the hallway to the quarters assigned to Katia. _It still amazes me that all the time that I have spent with her we have been pretty platonic in nature. Oh, don't get me wrong…it's not that I haven't wanted to, but there is something about her that holds me off. She has been through too much to just be used as a means for release…Keith was right about that part, damn him…she is someone special and should be treated that way._ He knocks at her door, waiting patiently for her to answer. But, it never comes…

He knocks again and still nothing, so he takes it upon himself to open the door and sees that she isn't there. Getting worried, he moves farther down the hall to the door leading to the gardens. Lance scans around to see if she was taking a walk along the lake, which is something that she loved to do. He starts to walk toward the monument when he sees her turning the corner to his right side. A warm smile comes on his face and she returns it. "Were you looking for me?" she asks as she comes up to him and takes his arm. His eyes are warm as he takes her in. _She is extraordinarily beautiful _and he feels his pants tighten thinking about her. He clamps down on his control while escorting her back into the castle. "I was getting a little worried about where you were…don't you know that I am the one to escort you around here?" A shy smile plays at her lips, "I didn't know that you were my own personal escort."

He stops in his tracks and with an exaggerated sweep of his arm, bows to her…making her giggle. "I am at your every whim, my lady. Whenever you need me…" He looks back into her emerald gaze and feels a pull, one that he has been avoiding for some time now. She stands there, locked in his stare…waiting for something. Standing, he moves closer to her, staring at those pretty lips that are being bitten by her teeth. Katia has been having feelings for this handsome pilot ever since that first day of her being in this castle and his kindness makes her feel comfortable. As he zeroes in on her mouth, she places a dainty hand on his chest. "Lance…"

"It's okay, Kita…" and he gently uses his finger to tilt her face up for his kiss. The former servant girl feels a gentle pressure on her lips and moans softly. He lifts his face to gaze back into her eyes and upon seeing tears forming in them, uses his fingers to wipe them away. Katia sniffles, but puts a smile on her face. She stares at him, and then she uses her hand on his neck to pull his lips back to hers. Lance's body tightens unbearably, but he still takes it slow. His arms encircle her, pulling her close and she willingly goes. Her body goes limp as he starts to entice her to open her mouth for his eager tongue. Once she does, his growl escapes as he takes total control of her mouth. The kiss is sweet and desperate at the same time…feelings that have been kept at bay, come rushing forward. But in an act completely unlike him, he pulls back. "I didn't mean to take it this far…I'm sorry."

"Why?" she asks in a breathless voice.

He caresses her cheek and explains, "I don't want you to think that this is the only reason I like being with you. I don't want to push you…" She smiles brightly, not used to such gallantry…not since her husband. "Lance, it's okay…I wanted to kiss you as much as you wanted to kiss me, and I'm not upset. You have shown me kindness and a care that I haven't had in years." She wraps her arms around his waist and snuggles into him as he holds her close. "Please, don't think that you are rushing me. When it is time for us…we'll know."

Lance kisses the top of her head and turns them back to the castle. To lighten the mood a bit, he wraps his arm around her waist and whispers in her ear. "I think it's about time you met the rest of the guys and hung out with Allura again. I know with all the repairs and new security upgrades that needed to take place, it has been hard for her to get away. Now that everything is moving along quite nicely, dinner is in order."

She looks at him in horror, "I can't do that! She's royalty!"

He tips her face up again, "She's not like that. Allura will be more than happy to have you there. Come on…you gotta go with me!" He gives her a saucy grin and she giggles again, "Alright, you've convinced me. Come to get me at dinner time."

"Will be there with bells on!" he returns and escorts her to her room. As she opens the sliding door, she suddenly stops to turn back and look at him. He still has that carefree smile on his face and she leans back in to kiss him sweetly. "I'll be ready and waiting for you."

The double entendre doesn't miss him and he bites his tongue as a sharp retort comes to him. He caresses her cheek once more then leaves, his heart feeling lighter than it ever has. _Who would've thought that a mere date would get me this happy?_

* * *

Allura awakens to find Keith already dressed and lying beside her, staring in her face. "It's time to get up, my beautiful princess." She smiles slowly and caresses his cheek, "When can we stop this? When can we remain together and not have to worry what everyone thinks?"

He just stares, not knowing how to answer her…instead he leans over and kisses her softly. "Come on, we have to get back before Nanny comes after you." He stands as he watches her nude body emerge from under the light sheet that he had placed on her. His body quickening, he looks around to find where her clothes are. He spots them in a pile close to the door, a wicked thought entering his mind…

_**You can't hide from me anymore…I know what you're thinking…**_

He laughs and throws her uniform at her. "I don't plan to hide anything from you anymore, but we do have to keep it under control." His eyes never leave her as he watches her pull up her panties and reconnect her bra. He has to sigh…remembering how it felt to remove it. Shaking his head, he turns back to the rumpled bed and begins to straighten it. She dresses quickly and walks over to where he is. "Let me leave first…less to have to explain," she suggests and he kisses her lightly. "I'll be to your room to escort you to dinner later, now get moving." She smiles brilliantly and heads for the door. As it slides open she sends back to him, _**I love you…**_

_**Forever …** _he returns and she walks out. As he puts the pillows back into position, a horrible pain fills his mind and echoes throughout his body. "Ahhhhh!" he calls out as he falls to the floor, dimly seeing himself crumpled on the floor next to the bed in the mirror. All of a sudden the room disappears and he is transported somewhere unfamiliar, but comforting somehow. His eyes close and he tries to tune out everything but what is around him…


	6. Chapter 6

Howdy Y'all!

This is a VERY short chapter, but hang in there.....there's more to come

Thanks to everyone...and please review and comment!

As is the normal shpleal...I don't own Voltron, wish I did!

I present...

**Chapter Six**

_In Haggar's laboratory…_

"You see, my Prince…I am able to reach the Captain through his thoughts and I have seen his fears. The first step to my plan is to play on them…make him think that he has no other recourse…" she says as she gazes into her viewing globe. Prince Lotor is standing nearby and is trying to see what she is seeing, "Why can't I see what is happening, old witch? What are you doing?" he commands and she throws him an exasperated glare. _He can't see what has been going on between the Captain and the Princess…if he ever found out that she wasn't pure anymore, he would be no more use to me_...

And unfortunately, she needs him now more than ever.

Sighing heavily, she continues to concentrate on the fallen commander and begins to enter his mind…

"_Captain…Captain, I know you can hear me. Awaken, Commander…"_

_Keith looks up, still trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head and sees a beautiful woman standing before him. She has flowing auburn hair and glowing green eyes…her smile enchanting. If it wasn't for the fact that she was comforting in some strange way, he would be a little more cautious. He glances around him and the area is alit with bright lights and calming mists._

_He sits up, his head pounding as he tries to make out where he is. "Where am I?" he asks as he tries to move closer to her, watching closely to make sure that he isn't having delusions of grandeur. The woman smiles gently and takes him by the hand, "You have been brought here to receive a warning…something awful is about to happen and only you can prevent it."_

_Keith is all ears now…trusting this vision for no apparent reason, "What is it that I must do?" The woman's face frowns and a tear falls from her eye. "My name is Ariella and I used to protect the lion spirits on Arus. They depend on a delicate balance between the science and magic that created them. One of the factors that help in this balance is the actual mind sets and feelings of the pilots themselves. They must all be on the same wavelength and be equal through all, or the balance is jeopardized."_

_It is taking Keith a while to understand everything that he is being told, but he remains silent until everything is said. He watches the tall woman move slowly over to a pedestal to sit, her eyes sad at what she has left to say. "Commander, I know all about your relationship with the pilot of Blue Lion and I fear that will be her downfall."_

_His heart seizes at the thought, "What do you mean?"_

"_Unfortunately, my dear Captain, that unless there is balance of feelings between the pilots, Voltron will never be in balance and he will eventually fail." The young Commander's eyes are beginning to show his worry…he has told no one other than Coran about that vision and is wondering what she is getting at. _

_As if she was reading his mind, "What I am saying is very important and I implore you to listen. The vision that you had…is a warning. You must stop your relationship with the Princess…it has disturbed the natural balance of things and it will only bring her death!"_

_Keith stops breathing for a minute, almost sure that this is a ruse of some kind. "I only have love and respect for the Princess…why should that be a problem?"_

_Ariella smiles again, "Captain, I have seen your feelings for her and hers for you. I have seen that you have consummated your love for one another and this has disturbed that balance. The rest of that vision will come true unless you put an end to it…now. The Princess must be pure of mind and heart to continue to be the receptacle for the life force of Voltron."_

_Keith shakes his head in denial…how can he give up his heart? How can he just let go? "Ariella, there must be some other way…"_

"_I wish there was…but this is the only way to keep Voltron strong, as well as keep her safe. Isn't that worth all to you?"_

_She didn't even need to ask…she has to know that he would do anything to keep Allura safe, and if it means he has to walk away, then he would. He is a soldier and Allura's sworn protector…he must do it to protect her. He breathes heavily, this will be the hardest thing that he has ever had to do. His heart convulses at the idea of never holding her again…seeing her smile only for him. He lowers his head and releases a shaky breath._

"_It will be as you say…I am her protector above all else and I could never put her into a position where she would come to harm…oh , God!" Suddenly, the ring on his finger glows brightly…its glow getting stronger and stronger. He looks around and the area he's in starts to change, getting darker and more ominous by the minute. _

_The graceful woman's face frowns briefly, but then she smiles gently and moves over to him to give him comfort, but he refuses. Everything around them is getting darker and he could swear that Ariella's appearance was changing. He stands strong, but his heart is in a million pieces…he has to listen to her and let Allura go, for Allura's sake he keeps telling himself. _

_But, at what cost to my own well-being and sanity?_

_Now, it seems as if she is rushing him to get back. As the area turns black, she says hastily, "All will be well, Commander. Soon, everything will be perfect…" As soon as she says this, a light returns around them and gets brighter. Suddenly his head starts to pound again…causing him to reenter that black void once more…_

_

* * *

_

_Planet Arus…._

The room comes back into focus and he's staring at the ceiling. Keith looks around blankly and tries to get up, using the bed as a crutch. He holds his hand on his head, remembering everything that went on in his strange dream. _It had to have been real, since I haven't felt her respond, she could not have felt it. I can't tell her just yet…after dinner will be soon enough, but I don't know how I can do it without breaking down. _

He takes a longing look at the bed that they just got out of…he had been trying to straighten it out before his vision and it still looks rumpled and slept in_._ _Gotta straighten up…_he reminds himself, intentionally avoiding thinking about what he has just gone through. Pausing, he takes a second to look at the ring…now still. _Is it trying to tell me something?_

Remembering that Allura had just left a little while ago, wanting to avoid having to explain why the both of them are coming out the same deserted area of the castle...he hurries toi make the bed and now his mind struggles with his decision. He has to act like nothing's wrong when he comes to escort her for dinner. After he's finishes with the last fold, he looks around the room again as if to memorize everything in it…like it will be the last time he will be able to be anywhere with her. The reasons for this are clear…the need is apparent, but his will isn't in it. He lowers his head, fighting back tears as he leaves out to heads to his room.

As the young captain walks down the hall, he tries to not think of what he knows he must do, trying his damndest to not breakdown into hysterics, so he begins to move faster…making sure that his imminent embarrassment is not made aware to anyone looking on the monitors. Feeling himself losing the battle, Keith runs the rest of the way to his room, quickly pressing in the code and moving into the room. When the door slides closed behind him, he leans against it…pounding his fist against the wall.

_I can't do it! I can't let her go!_ he screams to himself. A flood of tears comes down his face and he angrily wipes his fist across his cheeks to wipe them away. His mind screams, _She is my soul, dammit! How can anyone; or anything expect me to give that up?!_

But, the commanding words from Queen Ariella come back to him to remind him of his resolve…_ "The rest of that vision will come true unless you put an end to it…now. The Princess must be pure of mind and heart to continue to be the receptacle for the life force of Voltron." _He stumbles over to the bed and falls into it…his head not yet fully recovered from the battering it took earlier. He has to think of a convincing way to do this…_I have to think of a way that will make her think there is no other choice…but what if it works too well? What if she decides that she can move on with someone else?_

_After this, she may never want to deal with me again…can I deal with that?_

_I have to…it's for her…I have to…_

Knowing that he has to escort her later, he tries to rest a bit…hoping that something comes to him to make this all go away.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello, here is the next chapter...

Usually I try to make my notes a little entertaining, but this time I have a little something serious to say. I write because I love it, and I post here because I am among those that seem to enjoy the characters and show as much as I do. But, there are those that seem to think that because we don't write in a particular way, we are either lacking in the skills or the guts. To this, I say...so what and who are you to decide? This website is to display what skills you may have or trying to master. It is also here to display a broad spectrum of ideas...so as quite a few of us write...IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT!!!! You don't even have to say anything about it...as a matter of fact, DON'T! Flames are not productive, only constructive critisism is needed...and for those that have no idea of the difference...learn before you speak!

So, in conclusion...those who have been my supporters, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To those others...oh, well...there is a button at the top with an arrow on it that means "Back"...choose another story...

Mertz, Wade Wells, CMS, Bosski, Harm...I love you guys! Thank you!

As always, I don't own Voltron...

I present...

**Chapter Seven**

_In the Castle of Lions…_

Allura has been luxuriating in a bath for quite some time now, letting the gloriously hot water soothe her body…not that it really needs it. Once she got back to her room earlier, Nanny showed up within the next few minutes. _He was right…_ and she smiles as she observes her governess piddling around the room while she is enjoying her bath. She had told Nanny that she didn't need any more help at the moment and Nanny had left, determined to return a little while later. Even she can understand the need for a woman to be alone in the bath.

She lifts her hand and lets the water run slowly down her arm and back into the tub, a light trail of bubbles following. Her eyes slowly close and she dreamily goes back to the secret hours she had spent in her lover's arms. _Every time with him is like the very first…wetake so much care in exploring each other and making sure that the other is pleased beyond measure._ _We have achieved something that I have only seen my parents share…the true bond of soul mates._ She reaches out to him and is startled by a block. Allura sits up in the tub and rubs her eyes, as if something got in them. She tries again and hits that same wall. _Now, what can be wrong…?_

Time in the tub is over…she quickly rises and grabs a towel to head back into her main room and get dressed. She picked out her attire this time…_the whole pink thing is wearing on me_! She moves over to the red gown that she has found in the back of her closet and picks it up. Looking it over and smiling at the result, she hurries to get dressed. _Keith will be here soon and I'm nowhere near ready_. She presses the intercom and calls for Nanny, "Nanny, I can use your assistance for dinner. Would you please come to my room?"

She must have retros on her shoes, because she's there in less than five minutes. "You must hurry…the boys will be there soon and you're not the slightest bit ready." The young princess sighs and sits at her vanity, waiting for Nanny to do her magic. The governess grabs a brush and slowly strokes her hair, making it shine. "You must remember your manners, dear girl…you are royalty and they are kept in the highest regard."

Allura laughs sarcastically, "You have told me these things a thousand times...I know them inside and out and I keep reminding you that I may be the Princess of Arus, but I am as much of the people as the next man. How can I lead them and expect them to do things when I won't do them myself? You want me to be on a pedestal and there is no reason for me to be on one."

"You must always know your place, Allura…"

Tamping down her temper, she grits out, "I know my place…it's in Blue Lion and on the Voltron Force with the rest of the guys."

Nanny bites her tongue, not trying to argue yet again with her surrogate child. She pulls her hair up and into a flowing cascade of curls down her back, held with a crimson comb. Her tiara sits on her head perfectly and her face is shining. Nanny stands back and smiles lovingly at her, "You will be amazing tonight, and it isn't even a night for a ball."

Allura stands and heads back over to the dress lying across her bed. She looks at Nanny and asks, "Would you please see to the others? I'll be there shortly. Commander Kogane will be here momentarily to escort me." Nanny notices the slight blush coming to her cheeks as she speaks his name. _I have to admit that the young man is extraordinarily handsome, but he is just a pilot, so is beneath her in standards. Personally, I really do like the man…would be proud to call him a son, but he isn't for her…and too bad._

Sighing, she relents and tells her charge, "I'll see to the rest. Hurry now; he doesn't like lateness anymore than I do!" And with that she walks out the room. Allura watches her leave then she quickly puts the gown on. Feeling empowered, she readies herself for the rest of the night.

* * *

Keith starts to pace the room, trying to find the best way to make this happen and not cause too much pain for either of them. _She has to believe it, not want to totally lose control…but at the same time, leave a crack in the door open so that, if the fates will it, I can come back to her. _He walks over to the window and looks out over the gardens below. Beautiful scenes of the stolen moments that they have shared flood his conscious and he quickly cuts them off…_this is gonna be impossible if I keep this up! _

He turns back to his terminal and an idea pops up into his head…he sits in front of the computer and calls Admiral Graham. If anyone can help him, it would be the Admiral. Keith taps his finger on the desk as he waits for his transmission to go through…

An older gentleman's face fills his screen and answers, "This is Graham…Commander Kogane, what did I do to deserve this honor?"

"Funny, this isn't a social call. I really need your help," he starts, his gut twisting at what he's about to do.

"Anything…what can I do for you?"

"I need a transfer. I have to leave Arus…"

The Admiral's face is frozen. "What do you mean, Kogane? What is all this?"

Keith rubs his head and looks at his old mentor, "Admiral, there is a threat to the life of Princess Allura and, inadvertently, I'm the cause. It would be in her best interests if I leave."

Admiral Graham is not totally convinced, "From what I hear of the happenings on Arus, you couldn't be any danger to her if you were wired with seventeen tons of lazon…what is this really all about?"

The Voltron captain stands and begins to pace in front of the screen. "It's a long story…one that I will go over with you in due time, but right now I am asking you to send an order to Coran tonight so that I can get this handled."

The Admiral nods…he has always trusted the young captain and if he says there is a problem, then there is one. "I'll send the orders, but where am I posting you? I guess that you have that all figured out as well, huh?"

Keith stops in his tracks and looks down, "Actually, I was hoping you would post me on Pollux. Then I can still be near enough if the Voltron force needs me and I can still monitor Arus."

"Fine…the orders will be drawn up as we speak, but Keith…" the Admiral peers at him quizzically, "…what is all this for? What is this danger and why do you have to leave a post that you petitioned to stay in permanently?"

He sits back down, not being able to look into the monitor or Admiral Graham will know what is tormenting him. The ring on his finger starts to glow for a moment, then stops…leaving him puzzled. Maybe he should wait for the seer…_No, can't risk it or her…_

He forces himself to look emotionless…_the Admiral and the Garrison don't need to know about Allura and himself yet…_

_Damn rules…_

"I will explain it all to you when I get on Pollux, but now I have to get ready. Please send them to Coran as soon as possible."

"Already done. I hope you know what you are doing…"

And the screen goes dead. Sighing, he wipes away a stray tear, "So do I…"

* * *

Allura stares at herself in the mirror, hoping that what she is wearing will have the desired effect. As she smoothes the lightweight silk down her body, she tingles imagining her lover's reaction to it. The forbidden dress is a deep red, his favorite color, and is slinky, yet form fitting. The neckline plunges to a dangerous level, but not too daring as to cause a scene, but it gapes open only to be held together with fine gold laces. The arms are off the shoulder and taper to her wrists. She spins, looking at the skirt billow open at the two side slits that come to mid-thigh and hug her toned figure. She smiles seductively, knowing in her heart that nothing would keep him away tonight after seeing her in this. The beautiful princess frowns a little at the wild stirrings that are fanning the flames in her loins. _I never knew that love could be like this…that even knowing he is in the same castle can have me in a tizzy. We work so well together and have always seemed to know instinctively what the other is thinking, even before the link_.

Now, that mental connection just makes everything more magnified, more intense, more…just more! She frowns a little, remembering that strange block that she experienced earlier. She smiles, _maybe he was in the shower again! _Her face flushes at the times she has caught him there as well as the times they have been together intimately…it has only been a couple of times, but they have all been explosive on her senses. And his tattoo…she never thought she could be so aroused by a picture, but because he wears it and where it is, it's better than those aphrodisiacs that she has heard of.

Allura knows her experience is very limited, but is ever grateful for that…the things that he has shown her and taught her were meant only for him, of this she is certain. He is her Black Lion knight, her sworn protector and her passionate lover.

_Thank the lions…_

She stands at the mirror, eagerly waiting for her dashing escort.

* * *

"I shouldn't be doing this." Katia says to herself. She has been pretty content with staying out of anyone's way and she allowed that man to convince her to come to dinner! She looks in the mirror and checks her appearance once more. The clothes that she has been given have served her well, but she has to make an appearance with the Princess of Arus and now she feels out of place and underdressed. Nervously, she picks up a brush and goes through her hair again, not at all sure that she is presentable. Then, she hears a knock at the door and she jumps; nerves on edge. She moves over to it and presses the button to admit the visitor.

"Hi, beautiful...are you ready?" he starts until he really looks at her. Her hair is pulled back off her face with a light green band and the dress matches her eyes. The neckline is sweetheart shaped and gently covers her bosom while the waist cinches at her narrow hips. She is breathtaking and he can't stop staring. She blushes under his intense stare. To be a little coy, she bats her eyes at him, "Do you like what you see, Lieutenant?"

Lance has to freeze…his loins firing to dangerous levels. He steps closer with heat emanating from his eyes and she steps back in response. He stops, seeing the insecurity in her expression. "I'm sorry, kitten…"

She smiles at him and walks toward him, placing her hand on his chest. He places his warm one over hers and looks into her eyes. "No need to be sorry…" and she kisses him gently on the lips. Lance knows that if he follows his instincts, they would not be going to dinner and he wants her to have some fun outside of the bedroom, so he clamps down his ardor and smiles, "Well, beautiful, let's go see the others. Allura and Keith should be there by now."

Nodding, she puts her arm through his and they leave out. Katia begins to warm up to the idea of being part of the make-shift family here and she giggles. "What's so funny?" her companion inquires.

She looks up at him and caresses his cheek, "Oh, I know I am safe now…and I haven't felt that way in years. Lead on."

He pats her hand and they make their way to the dining area.

As Katia and Lance arrive in the dining room, Hunk and Pidge are looking over some schematics to the repair bays, Coran hasn't arrived yet and neither have Keith and Allura. He takes her over to the other pilots and introduces her. "Guys, you remember Katia…she helped Allura escape and has been hiding in the West Wing ever since." She slaps him on the arm and smiles at the other two men. "I am glad to formally meet you." Hunk and Pidge stare at her, realizing that she is a beautiful woman. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am," says Pidge and he bows slightly. Hunk gapes, until Pidge hits him, "Oh, yes…pleased to meet you."

She nods and pats Lance on the arm again, "Show me to my seat." The lieutenant takes her over to the table and holds her chair out for her to sit in. As she gets comfortable, he moves back over to the guys. Hunk grins happily at him, "So, you decided to bring your girlfriend to dinner, huh?" Lance sneers at him, "Shut up…she needed to get out of her room."

"I see…she is very pretty, Lance." Pidge tells him, peeking around him to see her again. Lance has to smile at that, "You're right…" then he looks around the room. "Where is our fearless leader and his 'date'?"

"They should be here momentarily; he had to go get her." Hunk supplies and he grabs a roll off of the table. The Green Lion pilot hits him. "Hunk, wait for dinner!"

"Sorry, I am hungry."

"As always!" returns Lance and they all have a laugh. Katia takes in her surroundings and feels comfortable. She looks at the table setting and is reminded of her home many years ago and feels tears form. A gentle hand lands on her shoulder and she turns to looks up. Lance smiles down at her and chucks her on the chin. "Now, no tears…this is supposed to be fun, right?"

Katia laughs, "It sure is…now, when are you going to show me all this fun you promised?"

_Damn, she just had to say that! _"Whenever you're ready…I'm willing to show you whatever you want." Katia blushes, but does notdrop his gaze. He smiles wickedly…_this one is a fighter!_ Lance leans over to whisper in her ear, "We'll talk about this later, Kita…now I must wait for our leader." He lifts back up and caresses her cheek before heading back to Hunk and Pidge.

* * *

Keith walks briskly to Allura's room, dreading the end of the night. At least he can have this one last time with her until things can be figured out. As he reaches her door, he knocks softly, almost wishing that she were asleep and not wanting to go to dinner. A soft voice answers, "Come in…"

He presses the button and the door slides open. He has to walk a little into the room to see where she is and is stopped cold. His eyes widen and his mouth goes dry at the enticing vision in front of him. Every nerve ending in his body is on full alert and he can't move another muscle. It gets worse when she turns and faces him, her eyes shining with her lips parted breathlessly. Not a word is spoken…she reaches out to him with her mind, _**Good evening, my love…**_

Her words wash through him, giving him the full blast of her desire for him. He looks down at his own attire and suddenly feels under-dressed.

_**You look amazing…you would be even if you were in a burlap bag!**_ she reassures him and he laughs finally. Words cannot express the depths of his feelings for her, so he just moves over to kiss her palm. The hot caress sends shivers down her spine and he tamps down the urge to grab her and place more kisses in other places. She sighs as she feels those urges hit her as well and she steps closer, placing her hand on his chest. Her hot little hand almost undoes him and he steps back. "Allura, you look amazing, but we need to get to the dining area or we'll be missed."

Her expected disappointed sigh flows over him and he smiles a little. _Seeing her in this way and knowing what I have to do …dammit, I can't do it! But, it's for her safety…I have to keep remembering it's for her safety..._ "Are we ready?" and he presents her his arm. She shyly places her hand on him and replies, "Lead on, milord."

He refuses to speak any of the pet names that they use…his heart can't bear to say those things to her, and then watch her heart shatter. They leave the room and head to the main dining area in silence. Allura sneaks a look at him out of the corner of her eye. He is dressed in a red pullover shirt and black pants. His hair is still rumpled, but it's always sexy on him. His eyes seem a little distant, and this is beginning to concern her, but seeing his eyes flame with his desire in her room reassures her, so she tries not worry. They enter into the room and they see everyone gathering around the table. Allura spies Katia at the table and grins happily. "Look, Keith…there's Katia! Lance must have brought her…this is turning into a party after all!"

Keith just looks at her and smiles gently, not answering. They move over to them to make their presence known. Hunk and Pidge notice them, but Lance has his back to the door so he doesn't know yet. Pidge taps him on the arm and points behind him, making Lance turn around. "About time you…" starts Lance until he sees Allura's dress and his jaw drops. Hunk and Pidge bow reflexively.

"Wow, Princess…you're…" Pidge stammers.

"Yeah, you're…" stumbles the Yellow Lion pilot.

Neither man can finish their statements and secretly are jealous of the man standing there with her hand on his arm. Lance smiles wolfishly, "I can _see_ why you guys were so late! Did she need much help?"

"Shut up, you asshole!" hisses Keith and Lance grins, but the grin is not returned. He looks at his friend pensively and remains quiet for a bit. _Something is definitely up with our commander…_he thinks, so he turns his attentions on Princess Allura.

"May I escort you to your seat? It would please me greatly…" says Lance smoothly. If Keith wasn't already in a foul mood, having Lance flirting with Allura wasn't helping. He pierces him with a steely gaze that is totally ignored. Allura laughs and lightly hits him on the arm, "You must ask my escort…it would be rude of me to just abandon him."

As she looks at Keith, she sees the turmoil of emotions in his eyes and is shocked when he says, "She would be delighted to have you as an escort."

Both of them drop their jaws as he gently removes himself and heads to the table.

"What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he so short?" asks Lance as he leads her to her seat. All she can do is shake her head, not understanding any of this. She reaches out to him, _**Keith, talk to me…**_ and all she gets is a solid wall. Stricken, she tries again just to be met with the same blockage.

Keith feels her mind touching him and it is taking all the concentration he has to keep her out of his thoughts. She doesn't need to know what he's about to do…not yet. If she gets in, she'll figure it out and it'll all be for nothing, that's why he has been blocking her. He looks at her, trying to give her a half smile of comfort and fails miserably. Her face blanches with her eyes asking the questions that he has been trying to avoid until the right moment. Hoping to avoid them for a little longer, he looks up just in time to see Coran come in with a grim look on his face and he realizes that his request has come through. Standing, he moves over to him and inquires about the expression.

"Coran, what is the matter?"

The royal advisor stares at the captain blankly and shakes his head, "You're not going to like this, but you have been reassigned…"

"What?!" It hurts to play ignorant like this…

"Admiral Graham needs you to assist Sven and Bandor on Pollux for a while. Seems as if they had put a request in for Garrison's help and you are have been having problems with rogue Doom troops trying to establish a base in the outskirts of the main city. Most of their elite corps have been deployed for off-planet missions and they can really use someone else with Garrison experience."

Keith nods and takes the missive from Coran, looking it over as if to understand what he's supposed to be doing there. _Of course the orders are faked, but he doesn't need to know that._

"You need to let the rest of the force know…"

Keith's eyes catch Coran's and he says calmly, "I'll inform them after dinner."

Coran raises a brow at his next question, "And the Princess?"

Keith looks down, "I'll tell her first…before I tell the others. She'll understand."

Coran secretly doubts it, but he nods and leaves the captain at the door. Keith folds the note up and puts it in his pocket…his heart pounding even more than it had been over this.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello, my loyal readers!

I am just so gee-golly happy with the responses I got from the last chapter! I LOVE YOU, GUYS!!!!!!

Anyway, I am hard at work with my third installment of this saga, as well as some other stories with other cartoons...like Avatar and X-Men. All will be coming to a computer near you soon! LMAO

As always, I do not own Voltron...dammit!

Thanks to all my editors! You guys are just SOOOOOO unreal!

I present...

**Chapter Eight**

Dinner is uneventful…having the usual chit-chat of the day. After the last course is served, Keith comes over to Allura, who is standing by Lance and Hunk…laughing over some antics that occurred during their years at the academy. He touches her elbow to gain her attention.

"Allura, would you mind? I have something to talk to you about." She turns to look at him and sighs, glad to know that now she has a chance to find out what has been bothering him all day. She turns back to the two pilots that she has been talking with, "Excuse me, gentleman…our commander has to speak with me."

They both wave them off, with Lance saying, "It's about time! I hope you get over whatever the hell is bothering you because you're a real asshole when you're brooding!"

"To hell with you, Lieutenant!"Keith hisses back as he leads Allura out the room. Hunk looks at Lance, "What's eating him?"

"Wish I knew, Big Guy, wish I knew…"

* * *

The couple walks into the pilot's lounge and she moves over to stare out the huge bay window. Keith stands just inside the doorway…_Dear God, can I really do this? It'll kill her…but I have no choice. I have no damn choice!_

"Tonight was fun…but I can think of some other things I'd rather do…" she drawls seductively. Turning back to him, she softens her gaze until she sees his expression. His face is contorted, but he tries to keep his normal stance…again, failing miserably. She rushes over to him, "Please, tell me what's wrong? You have been blocking me all night…why?"

He lowers his gaze and hands her the folded paper. A growing sense of dread hits her as she unfolds it and reads the contents. Her face pales and he fights back the urge to take her in his arms, instead he clenches his fists to prevent himself from touching her. The paper falls slowly to the ground and she stands there with a panicked look on her face. She looks at him, hoping to see some kind of fight against this in him, but can't see anything.

"Say something," Allura murmurs and he just moves over to the window. Her heart is slowly breaking and he's not doing anything to prevent it…_doesn't he care?!_

"Keith, say _something_?! Please!"

"What can I say? I have to go, it's orders…I don't want to make this hard…"

She rushes over to him and forces him to look at her, her eyes blazing, "Hard? HARD?! You are leaving me…for a period of time that I don't know! And even though it's Pollux, I can't keep coming to you when I want. It's a Garrison outpost and you will have to stay there until further instructed…WE WON'T SEE EACH OTHER!!!!"

His head has never come up from the floor…_I can't breakdown now or she will never be able to accept this_. "I know…it would be better to end things…here," he says quietly and waits for the explosion. Allura looks as if she has been struck with a hammer. She stumbles backward until she falls onto the couch.

"What are you saying to me? You…want…to …end…it? You want us to be over?"

He steels himself for what he's about to see…he has to. _I have to show her that we can do this, that this won't destroy her…that she can move on, with or without me_. Making sure that he has a neutral expression on his face, he turns to look at her and almost collapses. Her eyes are streaming with hot tears and her face is red…and she never looked more desirable. He walks to her, "Allura, I am a captain in Galaxy Garrison and I have no choice…better to end this now instead of having it get ugly later."

Her heart drops and a surging rage hits her, almost blinding her. _How dare he?!_ She stands quickly and pushes him, taking him by surprise. He gasps at the strength she's showing and stares incredulously at the raging Valkyrie in front of him. "You sanctimonious son of a bitch! How dare you just write this off as nothing?! How dare you belittle what we've shared?!"

Her hands itch to make him react somehow…_Damn him! He has to tell me something, show me something! I can't be the only one falling apart here…please, he has to be hurting to!_Keith's heart has shattered, but he can't let her see it. _This is for her...to save her, and it will kill them both if she can't recover_. "Allura, what we had was…"

"What we had?! What we HAVE!!! Keith, don't do this…" she heaves hysterically. Feeling he needs to calm her down, he reaches for her. She slaps him across the face, leaving a red handprint. He closes his eyes and smiles inwardly; _This is my princess…up for the challenge!_

"Keith Kogane, I have given my heart to you, handed it to you for you to take care of and you do this, rather you ALLOW this?! You called me your heart's desire…were you lying? You held me as if you could never let me go, was it a trick?"

She gets no reply…

"DAMMIT! ANSWER ME??!!!! I deserve at least that!" she screams at him, her chest heaving. Keith's eyes are hooded as he answers, "There is nothing left to say. I have to prepare to leave within a few hours…I have to tell the others first."

She picks up a small figurine off the table and hurls it at him, hitting him square in the chest. Her anger is boiling over, mixed with deep hurt and betrayal, "Tell me you don't love me, you bastard…" she says ominously, daring him to say the hated words. He turns to walk out the door, but stops when he reaches the doorway, "Goodbye, Allura."

Then, he is gone. As he walks down the hall, an unearthly wail projects down the hall behind him and he stumbles. His eyes fill with tears that he no longer wants to hold back and he runs towards his room. His mind is racing, screaming at him for the stupid thing he has just done…_I hope you're happy with yourself, you have gotten rid of the best thing that ever happened to your pathetic life! And on top of that, you made her feel like shit, like all the times you were with her were a joke. Brilliant, genius!_

Keith runs into his room and programs the door to lock with shaking hands. He moves over to his desk and his hands shake even worse. Now, his rage builds and he picks up his chair and hurls it across the room with an anguished growl. All adrenaline and strength leaves him and the infallible captain falls to the floor. His head hangs and his body starts to wrack with soul-wrenching sobs. _Nothing matters, nothing goddamn matters anymore! I've lost her!_He falls completely to the floor and curls into a ball…so completely unlike the image he has been portraying all this time. _I can't take this…I have never done anything like this in my life, how can anyone deal with this?! I have dealt with death, fighting, war, and this is the thing I can't handle. God, does the pain go away? Does it stop?!_ He turns to stare at the ceiling, praying for something, anything to take this all away. Her wail of anguish almost killed him and he still has to prepare to leave. A sudden urge to run back to her and explain washes over him so strongly that he turns to face the door…ready to move, but another vision hits him and he reels back with the impact…

_He sees Allura screaming, blood pouring from slashes across her chest and arms. The Prince of Doom swishes the deadly whip in his hand and screams questions at her…"How could you? How could you lie with that commoner?!" The whip slashes again and she yells an unholy scream of pain. Keith tries to fight Lotor…tries to destroy the whip but he is caught in an unseen web and is helpless. The whip cracks again and he screams at him, "Lotor…STOP! You're killing her!"_

_The Prince turns to him, smiling maliciously, "It's your fault she's impure now…she is not worthy of ANYTHING!" He rears back and cracks the whip on her once more and Allura's head falls…blood trickling onto the ground. Tears of anguish and frustration run down his face as he continues to try to fight for his love…but to no avail…_

"_It's your fault…commoner…YOUR FAULT!" and Keith watches the whip fall again and again against her once unblemished skin…_

"NO!" he screams and shakes his head to clear the horrible sights once again. _I'm doing the right thing…I have to keep her safe, even if I have to lose her forever…_

Time ticks away and he doesn't move from his spot. Pictures of his beloved Allura run through his head and he squeezes his eyes shut to stop them. _Oh God, I can't feel her anymore! I can't feel her!! I used to feel her try, but she's stopped…she's given up. Is this what I really wanted? _

His brain tries to assimilate his decision…the chant of "_It's for her"_ is not working anymore. Keith has never felt so alone and he throws his head back to yell out the agonizing pain. There is no one to tell him it'll be okay, that what he did was right…not even his own conscious. He quickly grabs a bag and starts haphazardly throwing clothes into it, needing to get away from here, but not wanting to face the rest of the team yet.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello all my fellow Voltron fans!

Here is the next chapter...as you can tell so far I was looking for a lot of angst in this story...I had bugged the hell out of Mertz to put it in one of her stories, but it wasn't enough. I was in absolute angst withdraw, so I put it in here...pretty bad, huh?

Well, cheer up, fellow writers...there are brighter days coming...or ARE THEY? (Dum dum dum...)

Anyway, as is the proper thing...I do NOT own Voltron..really, I don't...please don't keep asking, I have no rights to it at all...for real... LMAO

I present...

**Chapter Nine**

_On Planet Doom… _

Haggar stares into her globe and cackles happily…_my plan is working perfectly so far. I have convinced the Voltron captain to break his relationship with Allura, leaving her more vulnerable than ever_! She heads over to her table where a very ominous bauble sits, a bright blue stone that shines brighter as she gets closer and picks it up and it seems to hum. She has worked very hard to create this vessel to capture Allura's psychic power. _Ever since I sensed the range of ability the Princess has come into, I knew I must have it_. Her ultimate goal is to be the most powerful witch in the galaxy and the only way she can do that is by capturing all of the purest power she can…and the Princess has it. She cackles…_With it, I would be able to overthrow Lotor and ultimately…Zarkon._

Laughing evilly, the witch moves back over to the viewing globe and waves her staff over it, conjuring up the image of a distraught Princess in her room…

* * *

_In the Castle of Lions…_

Allura is inconsolable…she hasn't moved an inch out of the pilot's lounge after Keith's disastrous news. Her emotion-drained body is slumped on the floor in a room that has seen better days. Sullen eyes look around the room at the disaster that she made after he left. Never had she had so much rage built up inside of her…she felt as if she would explode and she did. Tearing the tapestries and throwing the cushions around, she tried to unleash all of the sadness and hurt that she was feeling…and it didn't work. Her mind is too numb to focus, her heart to torn to even care who sees her like this so she stands up and moves slowly out of the lounge to her room…she needs get out of these clothes. She floats down the hall like a phantom, not making a single sound…not even a whimper. Once she reaches her room, she waits for the door to open and moves to stand in front of her bed. Distraught, she stares at her bed…wishing the pain to go away, but of course it isn't to be. Another wave of anger washes through her and she begins to rip the beautiful gown off of herself. Shreds of red satin fly everywhere as she pulls and tears at the dress she had worn for him. Soon, her anger is spent and she has no more energy to rend any more damage, so she falls on the bed...allowing the hot, rending tears to fall in a steady stream to her pillow.

* * *

Lance and Katia decide to take a stroll around the interior of the castle, looking at the magnificent tapestries and classic statues. They begin to head down the West Wing when they pass the pilot's lounge. Lance smiles down at her, "Let's look at the stars…" he whispers and her heart trips a beat at the deep timbre of his voice. As she looks at him, she thinks, _how could I have been so lucky to have found him and I don't know why I feel like this? The more I'm with him, the more I want to be with him…_

She rests her head on his shoulder and nods as they turn into the lounge. Lance freezes at the sight he walks in on, "What the hell happened in here?!"

Katia looks around and shakes her head, "I don't know…didn't Keith and Allura come this way?" He nods his agreement and removes her arm, "They did…but this doesn't make any sense. I have to find Keith…" and he turns to run out the room, stops and comes back to Katia. "Sorry, Kita, that our date has to end."

"That's okay. You find Keith and I'll look for Allura." The handsome pilot smiles and kisses her hotly on the mouth, taking her breath away. With a shy smile on her lips, she watches him hurry off. Looking at the disaster in the room once more, she leaves to head for the East Wing.

* * *

Lance arrives at Keith's room and knocks, receiving no answer. He knocks again and again, no answer. "Dammit Keith, what the hell is going on with you?!" he hollers through the door, pounding on it as he speaks. He steps back and waits for a minute. There is nothing…no movement, not even a twitch. He turns to leave when the door finally slides open. He steps in to find the room is dark…too dark to make much out. "Keith, Keith…where the fuck are you?"

"I'm here…what do you want?" asks a disjointed voice. Lance tries to make a figure out moving in the back of the room. "Why are the lights off?"

"Because I wanted them to be…and you didn't answer my question, what do you want?"

Lance feels his ire rising, but keeps a normal tone. "Look, I don't know what has gotten into you today, but I didn't do it. Katia and I went to the pilot's lounge and found it looking like a tornado hit it…mind explaining what happened since you and the Princess were the last ones in there?" He crosses his arms and waits…Keith moves over to a bedside lamp and turns it on. Now, Lance understands why the lights were off, the room is not in the usual orderly shape he has always kept it. The sheets are mussed up and there are clothes everywhere. He walks over to the bed and picks up a shirt while asking, "So, you're running away?"

Keith stops walking and looks directly into his friend's face. Lance starts at the total look of granite in his features. "No, I'm not running away, but I am leaving. Admiral Graham has transferred me to Pollux for an undetermined period of time."

"You're shitting me, right? Why in the hell did he do that?"

Keith shrugs his shoulders, "They have been asking for Garrison help, so they finally decided to send me. I'll still be close enough to help with Voltron, but Pollux will be my new home for a while." Lance can't stand how he can keep the complete calmness in his voice, knowing his mind must be in a turmoil, and he explodes. "You are truly Captain Ice, aren't you? How can you take this so easily? We have fought to stay here, to keep Voltron and you can just pick up and go like it's nothing?!" He studies his commander and takes in how cold he seems…a bit more than is actually necessary. Lance peers at him, "You told Allura first, right? That's why the lounge looks the way it does…am I right?"

Keith flinches ever so slightly…when he left her, the room was in order except for the figurine that she hit him with. She must have lost it after he was gone and a deep sadness fills him. _Dammit Allura, I'm doing this to save you! But why doesn't it feel like the right thing to do?!_ He's not going to let his emotions show anymore…he has done enough melting down to last him a lifetime! _By throwing myself into my work to keep my mind from wandering to her and keeping the mental blocks that I have erected would help, even though they are not as strong as I want them to be…I just don't have the strength to fight anymore. _If she were to hammer him with her tormented thoughts right now, he would let her…just because of what he has done to her already.

All he can do now is hold on to the deep love he has for her and love her from afar…_basically go back to how I was when I first met her, but now the task is harder than it has ever been!_ _I've tasted her…have felt her body quiver under me while my lips caress her creamy skin_…he shakes his head furiously, refusing to let his mind wander back to those times. _I can't take that pain right now and I really don't want Lance to know about how far we have taken this relationship _…

He realizes he has to remain calm or he'll give himself away. So, the Black Lion pilot continues to stare at Lance, choosing not answering instead.

"I am right…you told her and now she's a damn mess! How could you…"

A quiet fury builds in Keith and he replies icily, "They…are…my…orders. She has to understand."

Lance comes over to him and grips him up by the front of his flight suit, eyes blazing. "I have known you too damn long for you to act like this now! You know she has feelings for you and you have probably stomped all over them in the name of duty! Your damn duty is gonna be the death of us all!" He shoves him hard and Keith falls back on the bed, but he jumps back up and punches Lance in the jaw. Lance hits the floor, rubbing his face while Keith looks at him with a slight bit of remorse. _Shit, I hadn't meant to hit him that hard! _But with all this anger, hurt, and sorrow building in him and his best friend having the nasty tendency to press the wrong button at the wrong time…he has overreacted yet again_._ He stands there with clenched fists, waiting for Lance to get back up.

"Well, I see where this is going. Hope you enjoy your new post," says Lance quietly and he moves to the door. Pausing, he asks one last question, "Are you gonna tell the guys?"

"I had planned to. I wanted to pack first."

"How fucking thoughtful…" he murmurs and leaves out the room.

Keith stands there…_wondering what the hell am I doing?_ _I'm hurting everyone and all I know is that a damn vision is telling me that I need to leave to save Allura…the one person I would walk through hell for. _He sighs and finishes straightening up things, moving his bag over to the door. Pausing at the door and looking back into the room he has called home for nearly three years, he has to glance at the bed …reminiscing briefly about that first night…that night where he quite literally devoured her very soul and she did the same, right here in this room. His mind replays every little thing about their lovemaking…_he feelsthe tightening in his loins at her surrender and groaning as he drives deep within her _He leans against the wall, closing his eyes to see it all…as vividly as he did when they were in each other's arms_._ He suddenly stops, knowing that if he continues she will pick up on it and his ruse will be discovered…_she has to continue to think that he can easily walk away…her anger will help her move on_.

Preparing himself for some more bashing, he clears his head and walks down the hall to Castle Control…better to have the discussion there than some where they can grab on to stuff to hurl at him. He chuckles at the thought…he has been hit quite a lot today!

Hunk and Pidge are still tinkering with the security systems when Keith walks in. "Hey Cap, what's the long face for?" Hunk asks as he watches his commander come over to them and sit in the console chair. Pidge stops what he's doing and stares at him. "Keith, what's wrong? You have been a bear all day and it's been bothering me…us. You know you can tell us anything." Keith looks up at him and almost takes him up on that offer…_but I am doing all this based on the fact that they DON'T know…_.

Once he gets to Pollux, things will be a little easier…he hopes…

"I have to tell you guys something and it isn't easy…" he starts and Hunk cuts in, instinctively knowing what it is. "We have new orders, don't we?"

"No, Big Guy…you don't. I do."

Both of them stand in silence, not knowing what to say or even do. Neither does Keith…

"But, Cap…why? They want to break up the Voltron Force?" the younger man asks and Keith shakes his head. "No, I'll be in contact to help the new recruit they're sending from the Garrison. He'll be here tomorrow, I suspect. Lance will be in command until the replacement learns to pilot the lions, using Red first...Lance has to take Black until the new commander has finished training." Keith holds his breath…every word he has spoken kills him to have heard himself say.

"But, Lance has only been in Black a few times…how can he teach how to fly him?" Hunk asks. Keith has to pause…he hasn't really talked to Lance about his new responsibilities since he didn't want to talk to him anymore, but he'll have to put that aside for now…_the team comes first. _"I'll have a talk with him…you'll be surprise what he is capable of." He looks at his friends and secretly wishes that things can be different…

"I don't know what to say…good luck just doesn't fit," murmurs Hunk and he plops down in the seat next to Keith. Pidge stands stunned…not a word coming from him. Keith stands and puts a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay with this? You'll see me from time to time…I have to keep in touch with the newbie and Lance for a while, but…"

"But what?! I knew something was going on with you and now I know what it is and…and…" stammers Pidge until he gives up and runs from the room. Keith looks after him and feels Hunk stand. Turning, he gives his Yellow Lion pilot a warm smile, "You're the only one that hasn't hit me, shouted at me, cursed at me for being a damn fool, or called me an asshole! Thank you…"

"Don't get me wrong, Keith. I am very upset with you, but what good will it do to get pissed. It's the Garrison and you have never disobeyed the Garrison…so, I guess this is it." Hunk puts out one of his huge hands to his captain.

"Yeah…" returns Keith and he shakes his hand. Hunk nods and turns to leave. He calls back over his shoulder, "I wouldn't expect to see any of us to see you off, but let us know you have arrived okay." Keith nods and watches another one of his friends turn his back on him. Sighing heavily, he sits back down and stares into nothing…wishing that this all went better. He doesn't notice Coran coming into the control room. "Keith, I expected you to be packing."

"I'm done…I was telling everyone that I had to go…"

The old advisor comes and stands in front of him, "And?"

"None of them took it well." He quickly stands and looks Coran squarely in the eye. "I think that means I should just get ready to go. Pollux will be waiting for me, since they should have received the missive by now." Coran looks at him and offers him his hand, "They will, and take care of yourself. The Force will miss you…"

"At this point, I doubt it," and he walks back out the room. Coran shakes his head…_that man doesn't realize what he's doing and I can't tell him what he needs to hear_…all I can hope is that the seer arrives soon…


	10. Chapter 10

Hi there!

I know, I know...poor Keith! Well, he didn't have to be an ass, now did he? LMAO

I love the angst right now, so I think it'll be around for a while...how long, well.....;)

Now let's get back to the story and hope he hasn't slit his wrists! LMAO (Just kidding!)

As always, I don't own Voltron...never did and never will, unless I can blackmail WEP...hmmmm.

I present...

**Chapter Ten**

Katia makes her way to Allura's room and knocks softly. When she doesn't get an answer, she tries the button on the door and it slides open. As she enters the room, she's horrified at what she sees. Strips and pieces of red cloth are all over the room and she panics a little, hoping that Allura hasn't been taken again. She moves further in the room and spies Allura lying on the bed, curled into a ball…her clothing ripped to shreds.

"Allura, what has happened to you?" she asks as she rushes over to the bed and tries to have her sit up. The distraught woman pulls away from her and curls even tighter. "Allura, talk to me…what's wrong?"

A tear-ravaged face lifts up and looks at her and Katia's heart shatters. She has only seen sorrow like that once before…and she, herself, had it. She takes hold of Allura's shoulders and pulls her into a comforting hug. Allura goes, but is stiff and completely drained until she hears the words, "It'll be okay."

She breaks down again, her shoulders racked with soul-ripping sobs. Katia smoothes her tangled hair and gently removes the tiara before it gets horribly stuck in her hair. She rocks her, telling her over and over that everything will be fine until Allura can't take it anymore. She pushes away and totally shocks Katia. Jumping up out of the bed, she runs to the window and bangs her fist on it…scaring Katia with the force of it. "Allura!"

"He's leaving…didn't he tell you? He's leaving and he won't fight it…he's just going to do it!" she screams and she hits her hand on the glass again. Katia gets up and moves over to try to help her. "Allura, there has to be a reason…"

"He told me he loved me…that he couldn't live without me…that I was his forever…HE LIED!!!!!" More tears fall as she rests her head against the glass. Katia takes a breath and decides to take another approach. Sighing, she begins, "He is a commander with Galaxy Garrison…he was this when he got here and he still is…"

"And what does that have to do with anything?!" Allura shrieks, turning blazing eyes on her friend. The former slave looks at her calmly and continues, "One of the things that you told me on Lotor's ship you love about him is his sense of duty. He has never stood down from his job and excels in what he does. Did you think that his posting was going to be forever? Have you ever considered the possibility that he _might_ leave?" This statement gives Allura pause…she never did think about it, _I just assumed that he would never leave me and after what we shared…it never even occurred to me that this could happen. _Now she has to...

"Katia, it hurts…it hurts so much that I want to die! He is my life…I can't do this!" she sobs again and throws herself into Katia's arms. "He has everything I am…what can I do without it?" She pulls back and looks at her, "You are the only one that knows about Keith and I. If Nanny or Coran knew…"

Katia smiles, "I wouldn't worry about that, but you don't have to worry about me saying anything. I know what it all means. I know you hurt now, but he must be feeling horrible…"

"No, he doesn't. He acts like he doesn't care…that all of this was just a little pit stop on his road to Admiral!"

Katia sees where Allura is going with this and tries to deter her, "Don't start, Allura…you know that's not true…"

"He wouldn't say anything, Katia…ANYTHING!!!! Don't I deserve more than that?!" Allura walks over to the bed and sits on the edge, staring at the floor. "He said nothing and left me wondering if all this ever meant anything to him."

"Everything, Allura….you must believe that!" Katia tells her quietly and the young monarch shakes her head. "I don't think I can anymore…"

Lifting her head up, she stands and looks at her friend, "I have to put on my best Princess face and pretend that we were nothing but a short interlude." And she moves to the closet to find some new clothes to wear.

"Allura, don't shut down…"

"I can no longer take any more emotional upheaval. If this is how I have to cope, then so be it." As she says this, a single tear falls from her eyes. "No one is to ever know how I feel about him…and he'll never know how much pain he has caused me." Katia sees the steel will of the Princess of Arus coming forth and knows the at least for now, she'll make it. She helps her get dressed into her flight suit and helps pin back her hair. Curious, Katia asks, "Where are you going?"

"I need to get out of here. I think I'll take Blue out. Tell Nanny that I'll be back later and not to worry." She runs out the room and heads toward Castle Control. Katia sits on the bed and stares after her. She can understand how Allura feels now…_I felt the same when I watched my husband die. I had to withdraw into myself, so I never really understood what Lotor had done tome. It was probably why he left me alone and went to Alira after a time_. She sighs as she stands and leaves out, heading somewhere…

* * *

Allura hurries down the corridor to the control room and freezes in her tracks. Coming toward her is her beloved protector, but her protector no more. She takes a deep breath and continues to the control room…determined not to make a scene…

Keith's mind is racing…still trying to convince himself that he is doing the right thing for his love. He closes his eyes momentarily and when he opens them, she is there…almost as if he conjured her up. She's flushed, but still looks beautiful. They both stand as if in a trance, then she makes the first move. She moves toward him and he doesn't know if he should be happy or beg forgiveness. He need not worry…because she walks right past him without another glance. Something tugs at him to say something, "Allura…"

She pauses, "You have said quite enough of nothing, Commander…don't try to say anything now." Allura turns briefly and he sees the deep chasm of pain within her and his heart shatters again. He wants to so desperately let her know the truth, but he has to keep the act. So, he clears his throat and tries to apologize once more, "I'm sorry…"

"For what? Doing your job? Being the typical Garrison pilot?"

"What?"

She starts to seethe, knowing that she has to hurt him…even if it will leave damage past repair. "Yes, I have heard that pilots have a great reputation with the ladies. Was this what this was…between you and Lance, since you two have always had some type of competition going on? Was I the prize or the challenge?" Keith takes a step back, never has he seen her like this…and it's beginning to scare him. He tries again, "I just didn't want you…I just wanted you to be okay with this."

Allura doesn't let up…everything that she has bottled up is slowly flowing free. "Okay? Yes, you said that before. But, you still haven't answered me…so I guess I can take that as what I want, huh? I was the contest…I get it. A tempting challenge from what I understand, so what do you win…what goes to the winner of the "See who can fuck the Princess first" contest?!"

A sharp stab of excruciating pain hits him in his chest and he flinches noticeably. She smiles dangerously, "I hope you enjoy your stay on Pollux…maybe I can see what the runner-up gets for not winning? Maybe it was the whole idea…break me in then pass me off!" She can feel her burning anger flame into an uncontrollable inferno…knowing that every word that is leaving her lips is a lie…_I know his heart, felt it beat in rhythm with mine and still has a connection with it. But, he's leaving and with no explanation as to why or even if he'll come back. And he has yet to try to tell me different…_

Keith feels himself about to implode…to hear those scathing words coming from her slashes what's left of his heart. _I never wanted to her to feel used…I just wanted her to be able to let go until I can get everything sorted out._ He knows that she can't know about the vision and what it told him because it will put her in the very danger that he wants to prevent.

But, it's like she hates him now…and he can't handle that. Not when he still loves her so…

He feels the block slip a little bit, the assault of both his and her emotions too much for him to handle. He has to leave…get away from her before she knows everything, but how can he leave her feeling like this? How can he let her think that all of this was a joke? _I_ _don't want her to think that it wasn't real_…but he can't give her that hope yet, can't reassure her and it's killing him. He hardens his gaze , lashing back so he can protect his thoughts, "I hope you enjoy yourself, Princess…I'm quite sure that Lance won't mind leftovers…"

For a moment, she could feel him…feel his turmoil, but he still isn't saying anything and the block returns. This is enough to stun her into silence, so she lashes out in the only other way she can. Drawing on the training he has given her and the only avenue she hasn't used, she launches one last attack.

_**You…BASTARD!!!!**_

The thought hurls at him and the blast opens a tidal wave of emotions that he can't handle. He stumbles backward and as he is trying to get his bearings, she slaps him again…so hard that her hand is stinging. She moves away and heads to the control room and her refuge in Blue. Keith leans up against the wall, holding a hand to his stinging cheek and trying to clear his head from her blast. He knows he deserves it, but the dreaded feeling of hopelessness washes over him. _What if I did too much damage to have her forgive me? What if she never wants me again?_

All the prices he may have to pay just to save her life…his life and feelings are of no consequence…

He turns back down the hall, wanting desperately to get away from here…to feel as if he is doing the right thing rather than feeling as if he is the biggest asshole this side of the galaxy.


	11. Chapter 11

Welcome to my domain...:)

As we travel further down the road on this wonderful journey, fret not...there is a happy ending to all of this!

I would love to thank my editors and best friends once again for putting up with my craziness and long-ass stories! You ladies are a blessing!

So as is customary...I don't own Voltron...don't make no money from this, never will, ain't ever planned to!

I present...

**Chapter Eleven**

_On Planet Doom…_

Prince Lotor stands in his room, seething. He has lost Allura, two slaves and has gotten nothing in return for the loss. His yellow eyes narrow as he thinks about the chances that he has given her time and again to come to him willingly, but now she has put him in a position where he needs to save face…the problem with that is he doesn't want a submissive slave. As unlikely as it may seem, the Prince of Doom wants her to be his love, or at least his version of it. It would never do to try to present Allura as his wife when she can't stand the sight of him!

He turns to the bed where he had her for a few days and can still smell the lily scent of her on the sheets. He moves over to the bed and lifts a pillow to his face to inhale deep. The insistent stirrings from thinking about her are becoming too familiar and are making life slightly unbearable. Lotor knows that it would be asking too much for her to fall in love with him, but he can't have her any other way…something inside of him just can't accept it. Throwing the pillow across the room, he decides to leave out and find Haggar. She had an interesting plan to capture Allura again as well as Arus. Walking briskly down the corridor to her lab, he stops outside the door when he hears her speaking… "Now, my faithful kitty, this will be the greatest accomplishment I have ever done! Once I have Allura's power…I will be unstoppable! Not even that whiny Lotor or his overbearing father, Zarkon will be able to contain all the dark magic I will have."

Lotor smirks…_so that's what she's up to. Well, I can put a stop to that, but not until I have Allura in my grasp._ Walking in, he stays silent as he continues to listen in.

Haggar still has no idea that Lotor is in the room, but Coba does and he meows loudly to get her attention. "What is the noise for?" she starts as she turns around to see what the cat is bothered about. She sees Lotor and frowns…_I'm not sure how much he has heard but I don't want to start the conversation. The last thing I need right now is for him to run back to Zarkon with what I say. _Treason is punishable by torture and death, of which will be nothing like what anyone has ever seen. She has seen the act and it even makes her cringe at its cruelty. Mentally shaking away such images, she focuses on putting his attention back on the task at hand. "My prince, what is it that brings you here?"

Lotor smiles...knowing that she will probably try to probe him to find out what he might have overheard…so he'll play ignorant for now. "I wanted to see how far you have gotten in your plan to capture the Princess." Haggar peers at him quizzically, not sure if she believes him. "Very well, your Highness. I have been able to eliminate the Voltron commander and am pretty sure that he will not return for some time…"

"And why can't he stay away forever? What did you do?" inquires Lotor angrily.

Haggar flinches…didn't mean to let that slip. "I had a vision come to the young captain warning him that he would eventually bring harm to the Princess. To save her life, he would have to leave Arus. Knowing his sense of duty to the Princess…it was a foregone conclusion that he would do so. He is preparing to leave at this very moment."

Lotor smiles genuinely for the first time in days, "That is wonderful news. Now, the Voltron force is no more…" Haggar holds up a hand, "Don't count on that…Galaxy Garrison is sending a new commander to take his place. It'll take him a while to learn Black Lion, so we will be safe from Voltron for a while." The prince looks at the viewing globe and wonders if he'll ever know truly everything that Haggar is hiding from him. "The whole purpose was to eliminate him completely, so there wouldn't BE a possibility of him coming back."

"Having him stationed away from Arus will be good enough, since the Princess won't be on Arus too much longer to have to worry about him. Once the new commander takes control…we will attack. Let them have a couple of days to let their guard down. I have the perfect robeast prepared for this venture as well. He will be ready tomorrow for testing."

Lotor nods and moves over to her table. Reflexively, she hurries over and grabs the crystal that she had placed there. She snatched it so quickly that he wasn't sure that he saw what it was she grabbed. "Haggar, what are you hiding…and should I be worried?"

Haggar cringes at her mistake, but this is too important to her to let them find out about. "Nothing of any importance, my prince…just some crystal that is sentimental to me." Lotor cocks a brow…_she doesn't value anything sentimental, but I'm not going to pursue the issue any further. I will have to keep a sharp eye on her until I can get my hands on Allura…and keep her from Haggar at all costs_.

* * *

_In the Castle of Lions…_

Allura runs to the chute and grabs the t-bar. As she's riding it down to the launch pod, her eyes are overrun with tears and she almost misses her entrance into the cockpit of her beloved Blue. The launch pod reaches Blue and the chair locks into position. She positions her key and Blue lets out an anguished roar. Allura runs her hand over the console and speaks softly, "Bear with me, Blue…we need some air!" The lion's thrusters fire and it leaps into the vastness of the lake. Bursting through the surface with a mighty roar, Blue takes off for the heavens…both pilot and lion needing to find peace in the night sky. Her heart is steadily pounding from the confrontation…

Keith stares out the window and watches Blue head for the stars. He still can't accept the evil words that she hurled at him, even though he instinctively knows that she was speaking out of anger. He lowers his gaze and turns to his desk where he has the necessary paperwork needed for the transfer and the transition for the new commander. He picks up the transmission that gives the information on the new recruit. The letter says that his name is Keero Takashi and he's the top of his class in the Academy. Leader in scores and tests, highly ambitious…his dossier reads much like his own in his early days out of the Academy. He sighs… he has gone over everything that he can to prepare Coran and the team for the new arrival. He plans on taking off for Pollux right after the introductions are made. The one problem is Allura…she may not want to be there, but he knows that she will always put her duty to her planet first. Still…

He heads over to his bed and removes his clothes, climbing in…mentally and physically exhausted. His face still stings from the slap Allura left him with and the spot where the figurine hit is beginning to bruise. He smiles ruefully…have to hand it to her, she can pack a punch! Putting the pillows up against the head board, he leans back and places his arms over his head. The faint aroma of Arusian lilies floats up to him and he groans as his body reacts. As long as he lives, he will never forget her sweet scents…both of them. He allows himself a moment to reminisce and is instantly flooded with rampant desire. Closing his eyes, Keith imagines her staring up at him as he slowly teases her with his lips. His head tilts back as he can feel her body moving with him in a seductively primitive rhythm. Not wanting to have his thoughts reach out to Allura, he quickly starts to think about anything in the Academy manual…he knows that his mind reaches out for hers when his desire rises and he can't let her know that his feelings really haven't changed at all. Taking a deep breath, he tries to sleep, but asking for that is like asking for Lotor to just suddenly give up and offer surrender…not gonna happen! He looks back out the window at the night sky and catches the glow of Blue streaking across the sky.

As he attempts to close his eyes, he allows one last thought of his beloved princess…

_Allura, I'll love you forever…_

Allura races Blue at top speed, not going anywhere, just racing as if she were trying to outrun something, or someone. Soft tears have continued to fall from her face, but now they are at a slow ebb. _Crying isn't going to change the situation and I still have a planet to rule. I have to seal off my heart…never to let anyone close to me again, not like that. Pain like this should have a punishment worthy of death…no one should have to feel this_. At these thoughts, Blue jerks and the switches flicker. Puzzled, she looks at her readouts and flips a few switches. "Are you alright, Blue? Maybe I should take you in now…"

She heads Blue back to its underwater dock and returns to Castle Control. As she rides her launch craft back, she tries to prepare herself in case she runs into Keith again. It took everything in her not to grab him and kiss him senseless, but what good would that have done? He is still leaving, and no amount of pleading or persuasion will keep him here when it is an order from Galaxy Garrison. She heads back up the chute and into the main room…no one is there, so she goes over to the main console and punches up the orders that he was sent. Sure enough, it hasn't changed and they were signed by Admiral Graham. A tear slips as she reads the rest. His replacement is to be here in the morning to be briefed by Keith and the rest of the force.

That means she would have to be present…

Sighing, she turns off the screen and heads for her room and almost bowls over Coran. "I'm sorry, I was…"

"No need to explain, I was here to take my watch." He looks carefully at her and notices her tear-stained face. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She lowers her head, "Change his orders?" Coran gasps, he had not imagined that she would let him in on what was obvious to him already, but he smiles gently at her and takes her in his arms. As she snuggles into his embrace he tells her, "Commander Keith was asked by Galaxy Garrison to do this and we cannot hold him. I know how you feel about each other and I will keep that secret, but I have a feeling that all of this will work out. Have faith…"

Pulling back, Allura stares at him, "I have none left. I will see you in the morning," and she leaves out the room. Coran's heart breaks for her, but there is nothing that he can do. He goes to the console and he contacts the transport bringing the seer.

"This is Coran from Planet Arus…when is your arrival date and time?"

"In two days…" is the reply

"Is Soren on board?" he asks and waits for the answer. "He is the only passenger and he knows of your urgent situation."

Coran nods and ends the connection…he will be able to explain everything, he hopes.

…


	12. Chapter 12

Welcome to the next installment!

I am overwhelmed by all the people that have enjoyed this story an hope you will check out my other stories...check out my profile for my others. I do have new ones working...will be up soon!

Thanks to my editors and best friends...I love you guys!

As usual...I don't own Voltron....EVER!!!!!!

I present...

**Chapter Twelve**

_On Planet Arus… _

It is morning and not too many people had a good night's rest. Keith lies on his bed with his eyes closed, facing the ceiling. He wasn't able to rest one minute…mental anguish being too much for him. He could sense her pain and wanted so desperately to ease it, but couldn't. The sleep deprived eyes open and he sighs…he's gotta get himself ready for the meeting with the team and the new commander. Swinging his legs to the floor, he heads into the bathroom for a quick shower.

As he turns on the water, he can distinctly remember all the trouble linking with her in here caused and he smiles. The captain removes his pants and steps in, turning the water spray to massage and letting the hot water soothe him. Now, that he has been blocking her, _I miss her gentle touches and pure thoughts… I somehow feel empty. The more I sit here and brood, the more I know that I need to get away from here as soon as I can_…another day cannot pass by where he has to look at her and not be able to touch her, or plan a secret meeting where he can do more than just touch...

He's going to always consider her his…

_Enough_! He turns off the water and goes back into the room, dripping wet and flops on the bed. He has _got _to shake out of this…the meeting is in less than an hour. Standing, he grabs his towel off the rack and dries off, hurriedly pulling on his clothes, and leaving out to head to the docking bays.

* * *

Allura rises, but her face looks puffy from all of the crying she has done over the past few hours. Still, she has a meeting to attend and having hurt feelings doesn't stop the world from turning. She rises, stretching and yawning since she didn't have a good night's sleep either. Her little retreat in Blue helped a little, but the reality of it all still is that her heart is walking out those doors and she can never be sure that he will come back. This war is unpredictable as it is, and with him not being here…she can never know what is going on or to even inquire as to how he is doing. Tears begin to form and she blinks furiously to stop the flow, _I will __not__ spend one more day crying over this! She_ stalks over to her wardrobe and chooses her most comfortable jumper. From the communications that came in, the new commander should be arriving at any minute now…and so will Nanny.

Just as she thinks this, the governess steps in the door and is shocked to see Allura at the wardrobe already. "Well, I don't have to blow the horns to get you out of bed this morning, do I? Let me run your bath and get you ready…the meeting will be taking place soon and you don't need to be late."

Allura nods and lays out her outfit. Nanny balks, "No! You must present yourself in your station! You must greet the new commander in formal attire," At any other time, she would have had a fit over what she is to wear, but she has no energy…no fight left and she merely nods and lets Nanny pick out a beautiful ice blue gown. She stands at her window and stares into her garden below as she hears Nanny bustling around her room to get her ready for the day.

"Your bath is ready. Go relax and I'll brush your hair in a minute."

Allura turns at that and replies, "If you don't mind…I would like to be alone while I'm in the bath." Her governess looks at her strangely, taking note of her swollen eyes and asks, "Are you alright, my dear?"

Allura nods absently, "I'm fine…didn't sleep well."

Nanny continues to look her over, "Well, with the new commander here, you will be able to concentrate more on your duties as princess instead of flying that awful…" and she stops when she sees a blaze ignite in Allura's eyes. "He is not here to take my place, Nanny…he's here to take Keith's. I will stay in Blue while he takes Black, now if you don't mind…" The elder governess is taken aback with the curt tone that she has spoken to her in, but lets it go and encourages her to go to her bath. _I have to make a mental note to speak with Coran later about what is going on and why I don't know about it_. She lays out the last of her garments and calls to her, "I'll be back in a few minutes to help you with your hair," then, she leaves out the room…while Allura enters the bathroom and removes her clothes to step into the tub. The hot water is soothing and her favorite scent of Arusian lilies waft up around her. As she leans back, she closes her eyes and tries to relax…trying her hardest not to think about her handsome captain. About how his eyes darken with emotion and the gentle curve of his lips when he smiles…the way his hands feel against her skin and the total completeness she experiences when he slowly fills her…

Her eyes shoot open and a dangerous tingle starts to vibrate between her legs as she lets herself feel him touching her, kissing her, loving her. Moaning as the tingles worsen, Allura feels her body react. She allows herself to feel this one last time and she lets her eyes close. Subconsciously, her mind reaches for him and she responds too late to stop it…

* * *

Keith stops in his tracks as the light touch of rampant desire hits him. _Allura…_ he thinks, but he clamps down on the urge to join her. It was a quick touch, but he can see her in the bath…with water splashing around her and her body squirming with longing. It takes all his training and strength of will to hold back from reaching back to her, loving her mentally as they have done before, but he can't…dammit, he CAN'T! He continues to walk to the docking area…still reeling from her self-inflicted torment.

* * *

Allura forces herself to relax…realizing that she had touched him, but he didn't respond. Feeling even more dejected than she ever has, she quickly washes and takes herself out of the bath. Taking her towel and rubbing herself fiercely, she hurries to put her clothes on…not wanting to have those feelings again and not have anyone to share them with. The clothes are a much needed relief from her fantasies, and an even bigger bucket of cold water is Nanny returning to do her hair. Allura sits at her vanity and can hardly recognize herself. Her face looks ravaged and her eyes don't have their usual sparkle that they love to talk about. Nanny barely looks at her in the mirror, chattering away at how she is always the last one to know anything. She sighs, hoping that she finishes quickly so she can get this day over with.

A grateful sigh of relief comes over her when Nanny finishes and deems her ready. Her hair is pinned up in a loose chignon with little tendrils falling along the edges. Not too stylish, but very professional. "Thank you…I need to get to the meeting now."

"I know…breakfast will be served afterwards. Now, get going!" rushes Nanny and Allura leaves out…heading for the docking bay.

* * *

Coran, Hunk and Pidge are standing, waiting for the Garrison shuttle to arrive. They stand in silence when they hear, "Has the new head honcho showed up yet?"

"No, Lance…the shuttle is on final approach. They should be landing momentarily," says Pidge and he shoots him a "be quiet" stare. Lance smiles and folds his arms, "I just want to be in the right mood to greet our new Captain Stick-in-the-Mud!"

"Nice to know that you still consider me in such high regards!" says a voice coming up to where they are. They all turn, but only Coran smiles at him. "Good Morning, Commander. The shuttle is almost here."

"Good, then we can get this all over with very quickly," Keith says and his throat closes as he feels her presence behind him. "Yes, the sooner the better." Allura agrees and she moves over to where Lance and the others are. He takes a chance and glances in her direction, immediately regretting that he has. She's dressed in an off-the-shoulder ice blue gown and her hair is pinned up loosely…just enough to illicit a warm response if he were willing to give it. Lance whistles, "Wow, Princess…you look hot! I wonder if that commander realizes what he's walking into here!" She blushes and smiles shyly, "I'm only here as the ruler of this planet, Lance…nothing more."

"I'm, sure he'll want to change that! Especially after seeing you in that!" returns Hunk and Keith stands off to the side, bristling at what he's saying. It has never even entered his mind that she could find someone else…or that she would even want to. A burning rage builds inside him, but what real right does he have? _I'm __the one that broke it off and I'm the one that has to take the consequences of his actions because of it._

_But, that doesn't change how I feels!_

He stands brooding as Lance and Allura chat about trivial things…feeling very left out. Soon, the blast of thrusters grabs their attention as the Garrison shuttle starts its landing. They all shield themselves from the dust and wind as the shuttle settles into the dock. The engines cycle down and the door opens to reveal the new commander of the Voltron force.

A tall figure walks down the ramp and the closer it gets, the better the image. Allura's eyes widen as he comes into view and her weary heart skips a tiny beat as she can see clearly what he looks like. The new commander is tall and muscular, not as toned as Keith, but very well built. His hair is a dark brown that highlights lighter in the sun and is cut to the nape of his neck. He has powerful legs and a beautiful tan, but it's his eyes that are the draw. His eyes are hazel in color and from the way the light hits them, they seem to turn colors. They are a breathtaking set of eyes. Keith sees her reaction to this new leader and the remnants of his heart drops. They really start to plummet when he see the young man's face brighten when he takes a good look at her…_pretty much in the same way mine did that day not so long ago, the difference being that the attraction was mutual and it was more than just looks._ She had touched him deeper than that, as he did to her…and he doesn't think that can happen again. Steeling himself from tearing his replacement's head off, he offers his hand. "I am Commander Keith Kogane and we have been expecting you."

Allura snaps out of her trance and smiles brightly, twisting the knife in Keith a little more. "Yes, please excuse my manners. I am Princess Allura and these are the rest of your team: Hunk, who is pilot of Yellow Lion" The big guy salutes smartly at him.

"Pidge, pilot of Green Lion." The young man smiles and holds out his hand. The recruit shakes it warmly. She pauses as she sees Lance's face twist up. "And finally, this is Lance…second in command and pilot of Red Lion." The recruit holds his hand out and Lance just stares at it. "Let's see how you handle Black first, then we'll shake hands."

"Lieutenant!" exclaims Allura and Lance reluctantly shakes his hand. The young man turns to her and smiles wide. "I never gave any of you my name…my name is Keero Takashi and I have dreamed of a position on the Voltron force, but I never thought it would be for Black Lion!"

"Well, you have to train on one of the others first before you can take Black out," starts Coran as he walks over to Keero, shaking his hand. "I am Coran, royal advisor to her Highness and main observer in Castle Control." Seeing that everyone is still trying to feel each other out he proposes, "Let's all go into the dining area for breakfast and discuss the new schedules and practices. After that, Commander Kogane will be taking off for his new post." All faces drop at him reminding them of Keith's departure, but none more than the Princess. They all file back into the castle and Keero comes over to Keith to speak with him, "Commander, with all that you have going on here…why would you want to leave?"

Keith doesn't know how to answer that question, so he dodges it, "It was orders…be prepared for a lot of ribbing…these guys give a lot of grief to anyone new. But you should be able to handle them okay, as long as you stay up front with them about everything."

"And the Princess? I know she has Blue Lion…how do I handle her?"

Keith has to bury the urge to smile…not too long ago he had asked her something similar to that, wanting to know if she could handle what he had to give her. _Sure enough, she handled it like a pro…and I'm dying inside because I'm going to miss that!_ The only advice he is willing to give him is, "Just protect her. Try to keep her from killing herself in the name of duty…that is going to be a job in itself. Whenever you need help, ask Coran…he knows her inside and out."

Keero notices that he doesn't exactly look at him when he says all of this and shrugs it off…_maybe he isn't the right person to ask…_ He continues to walk beside him in silence until they reach the dining hall. The group enters the dining area to the smells of a hearty breakfast and Hunk heads straight for the buffet. Pidge comes over to Keero and whispers, "You have to get used to Hunk's overwhelming need to eat EVERYTHING!"

"I don't eat EVERYTHING! Don't tell him that!" calls Hunk as he shoves a piece of fruit in his mouth. Pidge laughs and hits Keero in his arm, "See what I mean?"

Keero laughs with him, feeling a little more comfortable, but then he looks over to Princess Allura quietly having a conversation with Coran. _She is as beautiful as they say…_ he thinks as he moves over to them. Allura notices him there and smiles shyly. "Commander Takashi, Coran and I were just discussing the new rotations for lion practice. I think, later today, we should sit down and figure out what needs to be done."

The young man nods, "Whatever Commander Kogane has already put in place should be good enough until I get the hang of things. Then, we can have that meeting on what needs to be done for changes." Allura nods, feeling the dagger being driven in deeper. Straightening her features, she smiles and takes him by the arm, leading him over to the table.

Keith watches them out of the corner of his eye, but the look doesn't go unnoticed. Lance sees the former Voltron captain freeze up and his hands clench. He walks over to him and looks him in the eye. Even though he hasn't spoken to him in over a day, he can't let his friend suffer if he can help it. Reluctantly he speaks, "What is eating you? You're almost out of here…why do you look as if you could kill something."

Keith looks at him and the look of anguish eats at Lance. "I need to get out of here. I need to head to Pollux as soon as possible." As Lance looks at him, Keith's eyes divert back to the cause of his torment. Lance stares in the same direction as he is and zeros in on Allura. He is beginning to understand the part of the anguish, but can't explain why he's still going. "Keith, if you feel that way about her, why are you going? This doesn't make any sense…"

Keith turns to him and the cold wall has risen again, "There isn't anything left to say. I leave in an hour and you will be in charge until Keero has learned all that he can. I'm sure he'll fit in fine."

"Yeah…like a glove," sniffs the Red Lion pilot and he gives up. _There is something more to this and I can't figure it out…but that doesn't mean that I won't try to find out what it is. _Making a mental note, he walks back over to the table and takes his seat as Nanny comes into the room. Allura motions her to come over where she is with Keero. Nanny's face blanks out when she looks at the young man and she feels that another problem has been dropped in her lap. _This one may not be as handsome as the commander, but he will be a problem…and if the glint in his eye is a tell-tale factor, Ihas a lot of work on her hands_. Allura introduces them, "Nanny, this is the new commander, Keero Takashi and he will taking on Keith's duties."

The new commander takes her hand and gently places a kiss to the back of it, making Nanny blush. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Allura and Nanny detect his silky voice and the older of the two frowns. "You just mind your manners around the Princess…don't get on my bad side!"

He winks, "I wouldn't dream of it…" Allura smothers a laugh…_he's more like Lance and way more loose than Keith could ever be…but then Keith was very loose when we were alone…_

_No, I won't go there…_

She heads over to the buffet and begins to fill a plate, while the others take their cue and start filling their plates. She doesn't take much, and neither does Keith. They head back to the table and get settled. As they all eat, only mild banter takes place and Allura doesn't say much at all. Keith wishes he could comfort her…but he need not worry. Keero has been placed at Allura's left and sees her playing with her food. He leans over, "Not hungry?"

She is startled, but grins, "Not really. I didn't have a good night." He smiles again at her, "Don't worry…I'm sure they will understand if you want to excuse yourself. I could escort you to your room, if you'd like…"

Keith's eyes widen and his face is frozen as he watches her consider the offer. "Thank you, Commander…but I think I will head there...alone." Standing, she makes her excuses. "I am not feeling too well…if you'll excuse me."

Everyone stands as she makes her way out into the hall, but Lance quickly follows after her. Keith breathes a sigh of relief…that new guy is a predator, albeit a very smooth one. Keero turns to him and smiles, as if to tell him that a new chief is in town and since you're riding out…

_It's for her…it's to save her…to keep her and the life force of Voltron alive! _he tells himself over and over. _But, now I have to get back to business…_

"Keero, we need to go over the lion practices that will be expected after your training. Lance will take the lead until you're ready. And you won't take Black out until he thinks you can handle him, understand?"

Keero looks at him and smiles with a smirk, "I'm beginning to think that you are a little too tied in here. It's almost as if you considered the Black yours."

"He is…"

"Was…I'll take good care of him."

Keith can't help but bristle, but what else can he say? He is leaving and he really doesn't have anything else to say on the situation unless he changes his mind, which is becoming a real easy thing to want to do…and completely forget about the reason he's leaving in the first place. He tampers down his anger and concentrates on the task at hand.

Motioning to Coran that it is time to start the meeting, he heads out of the room and down to the pilot's lounge. It seems as if this will be the last time taking this walk…the last time seeing the statues and tapestries that have been a part of his life for all these years. Sighing, he enters the lounge and heads straight for a terminal to call up the reports needed for this meeting. His first impressions of the new commander has not been very satisfactory, but is it because he really is a snot-nosed punk that is trying way too hard or because he is actually trying to step into his shoes…and in everyway possible. The raven-haired commander sits and waits for the other two men to come into the room.

The first one to enter is Coran and on his heels, Keero. They come in and Keith motions them to sit. "This meeting is to establish the parameters that need to be followed while you are in charge of the Voltron force. Until your training is complete, you will follow orders from Lieutenant McClain." Keith notices a twitch in his jaw, but he doesn't comment on it. He looks at the screen and pushes a button until two more screens come up in front of the two men. "We can take each page, step by step until you understand everything to the best of your ability…and please stop me if you have a question. Coran, you pretty much know all of this, but I wanted you to be here to know exactly what I tell him."

Keero scoffs, "What, you don't trust me?"

Keith looks at him coolly, "If you know anything about me, you should know that I make sure that every base is covered, to eliminate any mistakes." Coran nods in agreement. Keero shifts in his seat; this is _not_ what he's used to! _Mostly, in the Academy, they have pretty much left me to my own devices, but here…I'm definitely not the top banana here! I have rules and regulations to follow and if I want the command,I need to act the part. _He leans back in his seat and places his finger under his chin while he sizes up Keith. True, he exudes confidence and superior knowledge when it comes to the workings on Arus, but what really makes him tick?

And yeah, why would he leave here…especially with a Princess as gorgeous as the one here is?

He smiles inwardly, there is definitely more going on here than anyone is saying and this little bit of intrigue is drawing him. He has got to see what this is all about…a stern look from Keith has him realizing that he is drifting away from the conversation, so he sits straighter and focuses back on the screen.

* * *

Lance has to run to catch up with Allura, who is stepping pretty lively for someone that is not feeling well. He sees her turn into the observation room and he slows his step. Peeking around the corner, he observes her walk to the doors and step out on the balcony…her favorite place to think about things. He walks in slowly, so as not to disturb her. She is leaning on the railing looking out over the landscape and he sees a tear fall from her eye. _Yeah, there is something definitely going on here…_ he muses and he comes closer. "Are you alright, Princess?"

Quickly wiping her face, she answers, "Sure, just needed some air…"

Lance stands in front of her and tips her chin up with his finger, "Allura, I know you better than that…what's wrong?" She looks into concerned eyes and her lip begins to tremble. She really needs to have someone to confide in that knows about Keith and can give her some insight as to what is going on. Her eyes lower, "Lance…I love him…" she, lifts her eyes back up and he sees them shimmering with unshed tears. "I love him so much that it's killing me every second I'm around him, knowing that he's leaving."

Lance nods his head and takes her in his arms…_he knew that they had feelings for each other, but didn't they tell each other? Is he leaving without knowing that she is dying inside? _

Her shoulders begin to quake and he holds her closer. _Damn him! Another reason for me to kick his sanctimonious ass!_ They stand there for a moment, until she calms down and decides she wants to move back into the room. Lance leads her over to the couch and sits with her. He waits for her to get her bearings and lets her start the conversation. "I know that he has to do what the Garrison commands, but I never thought it would happen…never thought they would call him away. I won't know what to do if something ever happened to him and I'm not there. I couldn't bear it!"

There isn't too much he can say to reassure her…this is life for a military person, unfortunately, but they have gotten to used to calling Arus home that the idea that they could be recalled at any given moment wasn't even considered. As these thoughts pass through his mind, he sees why Keith has had such a horrible attitude towards everyone…but that still doesn't answer the question.

Do they know?

Lance has to assume that he doesn't, _because knowing Keith as well as I do, I know that once his heart is committed to something, he never lets it go. I was confused a few weeks ago, but since they were on friendlier terms, I assumed that they were working it out. _He coaxes her to lay her head on his shoulder, hoping that the little bit of comfort that he is offering will be enough for now._ He can never understand the pining away for a love, but then again he was never looking for it in the first place._ She rests against him and relaxes…to the point where she falls asleep in his arms. He leans back to shift her onto the pillows…letting her snuggle into the couch as he rises. The sad look on her face strikes a deep chord with in him and he has to do something to ease her suffering, if it is for only a short period of time. He heads back out to search for Keith.


	13. Chapter 13

Here is the next chapter...this has a little more angst in it, but this time it may offend some people...so be warned!

Thank you for all the support and editing and reviews and yada, yada, yada...:)

As usual, I don't own Voltron...but I am in negotiations...:)

I present...

**Chapter Thirteen**

Back in the meeting, Keith is finishing his talk and looks at the two of them. "I will be on Pollux and can be contacted if needed, but I'm sure that with Coran's and Lance's help…you'll be okay." Keero looks at him as if he insulted him and Keith smothers a laugh…_this kid will learn soon enough! _As they are getting themselves together, Lance enters the room, "Did I miss something?"

"No, as a matter of fact…you're right on time. I need to go over some things with you before I leave." Keith says and he stands to walk over to the windows. Lance watches him before he moves over to join him. He walks past Keero and Coran, with Keero looking after him as if to find out what is going on. Lance waits until the room is clear before he says anything. "Keith, are you sure this is the right thing for you to do?"

Keith turns around quickly, "What do you mean? Why would you ask that?" A fluttering fear races through him as he watches his lieutenant come closer. Lance looks at him strangely, "I mean, aren't you forgetting something?"

_He can't know?! We were so careful… _"What are you getting at, Lance?"

Lance folds his arms, "She is in love with you, you asshole, and you don't even know it, do you?" Keith stares at him incredulously, not knowing what to say_. Of course I know she loves me…just like she knows I'm deeply in love with her. But he doesn't know…and he doesn't need to._ The best thing for him to do now is act dumbfounded and continue to play the act. "Lance…I…"

"No, you didn't know and you also don't know that this is killing her! She won't smile, she barely eats, and she doesn't have that same bouncy step that she used to…you've destroyed her!"

Keith's face hardens, "Don't say that…"

"And why not? Don't you care?!" he challenges and Keith has to turn away. He almost let it slip that he knows about her pain…_feel it every second…and can do nothing about it!_

"Lance, there isn't anything I can do…" Lance punches him in the arm, "Oh, yes the hell you can! Go to her and tell her you feel the same!"

"I can't do that! I'm leaving…how am I supposed to tell her I love her then walk out of her life!" _As if I already haven't gone through this!_

Lance stares at him, "The Keith I know wouldn't leave or throw away something or someone he loved…what else is going on here?" The captain looks at him blankly, trying to conceal his own anguish. Lance forces him to face him, "Dammit Keith, I know you love her!"

Relenting a little, he says, "And so I do! This is hurting me as much as it is her; but it would be so much harder if she knew. I can't hurt her that deeply…I can't." Lance stops his tirade and sighs. Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, he looks at the floor. "I don't know what to tell you…I just know that there is no more time left and you're letting the best thing that could happen to a bum like you walk away and you have never even tried to say anything to her!"

Keith punches his hand on the desk and flops down into his chair…knocking over the papers on the desk. "It's so damned unfair! I want to talk to her so much…to tell her that everything will be okay, but what kind of false hope am I giving? No, as much as it is tearing us apart…its better this way." Keith leans forward and puts his head in his hands, fighting tears.

For once, Lance has nothing to say…falling in love and giving away something so precious that belongs to you isn't heard of. So, he just stands and watches his friend's heart break, unable to help him in any way. Outside, he hears the shuttle landing and knows that time is truly up. He looks into Keith's face and realizes that he knows as well what that sound is. After a few moments, Keith looks up and says, "It's time for me to leave. I need to go back to my room for my bags…could you please tell the shuttle I'll be there in a minute?" Lance nods and leaves out, while Keith stands and reaches into his desk drawer for a small package. Tucking it away, he heads out to finally leave Arus.

* * *

The shuttle dock is windy and lonely for the captain as he waits for the refueling of the vessel.

_Hunk was right… he should not expect anyone to see him off_…he muses.

Just as well, he didn't think he could handle it. Taking in one last breath of air from his home, Keith sighs…this isn't going to get any easier. He starts to head on board, when he hears, "Hey, WAIT??!!!" Turning, he sees the rest of the force running up to where he is. Hunk is the first to speak, "I was wrong…can't let you believe that we ALL hate you!" Keith chuckles and shakes the big man's hand. "Call us when you get there!"

"I will…"

Pidge is the next one up and he salutes, "Good luck, Commander," and Keith salutes back. "Keep the lions in shape…we have to stay ready." The young man nods, with a tear glistening in his eye. Keith then turns to his best friend and receives a quirky smile, "You know, I can get used to this being in charge thing…might keep screwing with the new kid to keep him out of Black!"

Keith laughs, "You're going to need him…I know you'll train him well and you'll do a great job."

"Yeah…well, don't let us stop you. Get out of here!"

They shake hands and then Keith turns to the shuttle, walking up the loading ramp. Turning back to them, he salutes…receiving a salute in return. He continues to watch them as the doors close and a heaviness hits his chest as he realizes that this is truly it. Not that he expected to see Coran or Nanny, but the one that he was glad he didn't see is Allura. Keith closes his eyes at thinking her name…he can't bear to watch her move off into the distance as he flies away from her. Walking into the seating area, he sits by the window as the shuttle lifts off the ground…

Allura runs to the window. She heard the shuttle landing and debated for the entire time it was here whether or not she should see him off, deciding at the last minute to watch him go. As she heads to the docking area, she watches it lift off and she stares out the window at it as it gets smaller and smaller into Arus air space. One last tear falls and she sends out to him one last time…_**Goodbye…my dark warrior.**_

Keith closes his eyes as he can feel a message reach him and he smiles, dropping the block for one brief moment. _Through all the pain, she still loves me…and that is enough for now_. He leans back against the chair and rests for the flight to Pollux. As the darkness of deep space envelopes the ship, he remembers the small package that he took from his drawer, taking it out. Keith stares at it for a moment before opening it. Inside, there is a dried flower…an Arusian lily and it still has its sweet scent. It was one of the blooms he had given her on his birthday…when he should have been at his own birthday party; he was actually out hanging on a cliff to get her a bouquet of these. Inhaling briefly, he closes his eyes, remembering her smile when he gave them to her after being so worried about where he was. He continues to conjure up images of his beloved Allura; smiling, laughing, and crying out in ecstasy…

Sighing, Keith places the flower back into its package gently, _Damn, this is all I have left now…and maybe all I'm ever going to have from now on._

* * *

_Planet Doom…_

Haggar cackles at the shuttle moving away from the planet and strokes her cat. "Well, kitty, everything is moving like clockwork. Now, it's time for the next phase of my plan." She stands and lets the cat fall from her lap. Moving over to the table, she waves a gnarled hand over the black crystal and closes her eyes as if in a trance. The crystal glows and Haggar feels the power emanating from it. She picks it up and holds it out for Coba to see. "The crystal is almost ready…soon I will be the most powerful creature in the universe!"

Disdainfully, the cat just licks his paws…

"Haggar, when will we be ready to attempt this? I grow impatient…" he says as he enters the lab and hangs by the door, watching her move around and prepare something odd. The witch acts like he isn't there. _How dare she?!_

Lotor has been trying to spy on Haggar ever since he heard the plans she had for everyone. It didn't sit too well with him that she had a plan for everyone involved, especially him. If it weren't for the fact that her powers were strong enough to accomplish what they both want, he would have her locked up on the furthest planet in the Denubian Galaxy.

"HAGGAR?!"

She finally turns to look at him and he curses; _she never reveals what she is thinking_. "I was speaking to you…when are we going to start this?" Haggar shakes her head, "You must have patience, my prince…" and she consults the viewing globe for a minute. A disgusting smile forms on her face when she says, "The time is now…Allura is without her protector." Lotor smiles, "Now, there truly is nothing to stop us!"

"We must be careful, my prince…this procedure will take some time to be successful," says Haggar and Lotor sneers, "You always say that and nothing ever comes of it!"

Haggar turns glowing eyes on him, "This is too important for it to be messed up! I cannot allow the plan to be off by even the littlest detail!" Lotor stares at her and smirks at her mistake, "Am I to understand that you think I am going to cause this plan to fail, old witch?"

Haggar groans, _Not smart…_ "I forget myself, my prince. I never meant to imply that you would be any distraction…"

"See you don't." Lotor throws back at her as he leaves out. Heading down the hall to his harem, he walks over to his chair and is immediately surrounded by women of all sizes and planets. One particularly pretty one has red hair and green eyes, wearing a dark red toga-type dress, and is seductively looking at him from behind the crowd of slaves. He stands again, moving them away and walking over to her. "You are very quiet my dear…would you like to have someplace more quiet to tell me about…myself?"

"As you wish, my prince…" is the reply and he leads her to the side room that he uses for his pleasure. As he locks the door behind them, he hastily kisses her, ripping her clothes from her…her body eagerly responding. He has to block the reoccurring images of Allura out of his mind or this experience will be short and disappointing. It is never the problem of his ability to perform…far from it. It's the fact that his body is so attuned to the Princess of Arus. It is hard for him to perform to his standards, then he has to take it out on the poor female that he happens to be with at the time. Torture is only fun when it is absolutely necessary to do it, or if in a particularly nasty mood…_but it should never come into the bedroom_, as he sees it. The young girl never makes a sound as he grips her roughly and throws her to the bed. He looks at her closely and realizes that she reminds him of Princess Coral…that foolhardy attempt to marry him off to the first woman that met his father's eye. It is unusual that he should even care what his father has in mind for him and she wasn't that hard on the eyes…but she wasn't Allura.

He removes his clothing and the girl's eyes widen as she looks upon him. Lotor smiles, that usually being the reaction to his size. Crawling on the bed towards her, he takes hold of her arms…drawing her into a cruel kiss. She doesn't know how to respond, so he forces his tongue into her mouth and plunders. The girl can barely hold on, but she tries to stay with him. Moving his hands down her body, Lotor rips off what is left of her clothes. Her nude body glistens in the dimming candlelight and he can actually feel himself becoming aroused. He pulls her underneath him and prepares himself for entry, when he looks on her face and there he sees Allura…once again.

_Dammit, not this time!_ he thinks and impales her roughly. A sharp cry of pain rips out of her throat as he drives into her…willing the image of his obsession to go away, at least for now. Attention is not paid on the fact that she is no longer receiving any pleasure…if she ever was. He mindlessly thrusts into her…trying to reach his peak regardless of whether or not she does. She lies relatively still as she listens to his groans and grunts, silently wondering what it's all for. Suddenly, she feels him jerk and then nothing. She stares at the ceiling while he climbs off and sits on the edge of the bed. Sitting up slowly, afraid that she did something wrong, the slave girl jumps a little when he turns to her. "Rest here for the night…I'll have one of the others bring you some refreshment." She watches as he dresses quickly, and then he turns to leave the room. Before he walks out the door, he looks back at her and notices the large stain surrounding her. In an unusually soft voice he tells her, "There is a washroom to your left…you may want to use it."

She doesn't understand until she looks down and notices the blood all over her legs. _Funny, I don't feel strange or even upset…just blank, but I know that it could have been far worse from the whisperings in the harem_. She had been told of his preference for virgins and they are specifically dressed to alert him of which ones were. Now, she can blend in with the others…and hopefully never have to do this again. A tear finally forms and she lies down to silently weep.

* * *

Making his way into the throne room, Lotor walks in on a particularly loud discussion between his father and one of his many generals. "Guards, take him to the Pit of Skulls! I will not tolerate anymore failure!" Two hulking guards grab the sputtering general and haul him off for his punishment. Lotor smiles as they march past him and he moves farther into the room. King Zarkon notices him and calls out, "What do you want, Lotor? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Lotor nods, "Yes...I can. But what I have to tell you is very important."

Zarkon leans back in his throne and rests his head back, "What do you have to tell me?"

Walking up the stairs, Lotor stands by his side, "Haggar is planning another attempt on Planet Arus, but that isn't the only thing that she has her evil eye on." The prince watches as his father just scoffs and replies, "She wouldn't dare…she knows that there is nowhere in the universe she could hide before I caught her."

"I wouldn't be too sure, Father. She has found some new powers that she is now trying to tap into. We may not have any defense against them." Lotor warns, but he knows his words are falling on deaf ears. _Zarkon thinks he is invincible…well, maybe Ishould let Haggar take him down a few notches._

But that wouldn't bode too well for him, since she would come after him next…

As he stands there thinking, another plan forms…there has to be a way to prevent Haggar from obtaining the power from Allura, while still obtaining Allura herself. There has to be a way…

"Lotor, are you listening to me?!" calls Zarkon and the young prince snaps out of his reverie. The king looks at his son and wonders… _how in the hell did I have a son like him? Yes, he had his moments of brilliance when it came to conquering worlds, but when it comes to the Planet Arus…he turns into a young school boy trying to control his hormones_. Zarkon sighs, he was only like that once, and that was the worst mistake of his life that was quickly handled.

"Haggar will do as she is told, and no more. You're getting worked up about nothing." Zarkon tells him and Lotor shakes his head. It doesn't make any sense to continue to beat his head against a brick wall anymore, so he bows to his father and takes his leave. Zarkon notices that his son didn't argue with him, and that just shows that something is truly wrong. He stands to stop him, "Lotor, wait…"

The prince stops and turns back to the great hulking figure that is the King of Doom. "Maybe you might have something there. What do you suggest that we do?" Lotor peers at his father, not sure where to go with this.

"I think that we need to let her think she has complete control over this mission, but we have to be careful...she has ways of knowing everything." Zarkon starts to speak, but his son cuts him off, "Yes, she does and she has and will continue to. She can pick up on our thoughts, but not without the help of her viewing globe."

The shocked look on the King's face is comical, but he clamps down the laugh and continues, "She has never been intimidated by us…she only plays the game, but as long as it gets us results…we don't complain."

Zarkon nods, "Very well thought out, Lotor. How do we keep tabs?"

"We act normal, but I have my spies everywhere. She has a tendency to completely withdraw into her own agenda and lets things slip…after all she still is a woman…somewhat. She'll make a mistake, eventually."

Zarkon agrees and comes down the steps to stand in front of him, "I have never truly believed in that witch, but she has come in handy when needed. Keep a tight eye on her Lotor," and the king moves past him to leave the throne room. Stopping at the doorway, he turns back to him "I hope you're right about all of this…" then he leaves. Lotor stares after him, shaking his head. Mumbling to himself, he says, "Even if I was wrong, it wouldn't matter to you…this is for me and my ascension to the throne. You'll be better off staying in the dark!"

He looks longingly at the throne at the top of the royal stairs and vows silently, _One day…_


	14. Chapter 14

Hey Everyone!

Well...work on the final part of this series has begun; more angst, more death, more romance...just more of everything is on the way!

I thank all the diligent work of my editors, who all are probably cussing me out for these long ass stories! LMAO

As is the normal schpeal...I don't own Voltron, though I do have all the videos, comics...so I guess yeah..I DO own Voltron! LMAO

I present...

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Planet Arus…_

Katia finds her way to the pilot's quarters and heads down the hall. She passes the room that she assumes must have been Keith's because the door is open. She looks in passively, then continues to make her way down the hall. About two doors from Keith, she sees a name tag on the wall near the keypad lock. She smiles, pressing the button and it slides open…letting her get a glimpse of what Lance McClain does in his leisure time. Entering cautiously, Katia feels very much out of place in _his_ room, but her curiosity is getting the best of her. The former servant moves over to Lance's desk and notices that everything is everywhere…he isn't the most organized of the pilots, but then she didn't really expect him to be. She sees pictures of him and the rest of the Voltron force, him and Keith, and him with whoever decided at the time to be in the photo. Picking one up, she looks at the carefree smile he always seems to wear and the nonchalant way he carries himself, smiling. Her husband used to be like that…one of the reasons why she's so drawn to him. Katia sits on the edge of the bed and holds the picture in her lap, staring out the window while remembering…

* * *

Lance is coming back from seeing Keith off, and is still not happy with the way it all went down. His mind is still running scenarios as to why and how Keith could let this happen and not try to fight it. Being so caught up in his meanderings, he just remembers to key in his code before entering. He stops dead in his tracks as he sees Katia sitting there…completely oblivious to her surroundings.

"Hello there, Kita." Lance says quietly and she almost jumps out her skin. He laughs and walks over to her to calm her down. "I didn't mean to scare you, are you alright?"

"You could've said something…I didn't hear you come in."

He smiles, "But this is my room!" Katia just looks at him, finally returning his smile. "I'm sorry…this is your room and I have no right to get mad at you for not speaking to me as you entered." Her veiled reprimand doesn't slip by him and he puts his hand on her shoulder. "I know, I should have said something to let you know I was here, but you were so deep in thought…I didn't want to disturb you." He sits down beside her and asks, "So, what were you thinking about?"

"My husband."

Lance frowns reactively, knowing that she does have that right and she sees his face change "I was thinking how so much like you he was. It was those qualities that you share that I loved him for."

Lance's heart trips..._love?_ _I don't want that, not right now. Not after seeing what Keith and Allura are going through!_

She reads the fear and reluctance in him and lets him off the hook. "I'm not saying I am in love with you, just…well, you remind me a lot of him." Lance doesn't know if he should be happy or upset, but he has to remember that she has been through a lot in the short time that he has known her. He gently caresses her cheek and she rubs her face in his palm. Their eyes meet and he feels himself being pulled to her like a magnet. Katia closes her eyes, expecting his kiss. He gently presses his lips to hers then backs up, not sure of himself all of a sudden. She places her hand at the nape of his neck and pulls him closer; making the kiss deeper and Lance's body stiffens. Pulling back once more, he asks breathlessly, "Are you sure?"

"I have never been more sure…" she answers and presses her body against him…letting the photo fall to the floor. Body aflame, he tears into her…letting his tongue tease her for entrance. As she moans, her mouth opens and she is lost in his ardor. They fall back on the bed and he runs his hands over her back, then down to cup her buttocks, eliciting another deep groan from her. Rolling her to her back, he lifts up and stares into her beautiful green eyes that are glazed over with passion.

"Kita…" he whispers and he can't think of another thing to say. He kisses her one last time before he starts to untie the laces at the front of her gown. Mesmerized by his intent stare, she watches as he slowly reveals herself to him and his eyes darken to a midnight blue. She is so highly aroused right now, she might scream at the first touch on her heated skin, but he lightly blows on her dark nipples through the thin shift she's wearing…making them stand at attention. She pulls at his shirt, pulling it out of his pants and hurriedly off over his head. Rubbing her hands over and muscular chest, she wiggles her hips under him. _My husband never looked like this…like some great warrior of old come to grant my every fantasy_. Lance smiles down at her and moves his hands back to pull the rest of the gown down off of her…leaving only the shift and panties. He takes another moment to look her over…at her silky skin and her succulent breasts with their dark tips. His eyes go lower to where he can make out the patch of black hair at the apex of her womanhood. His shaft fills to almost bursting, but he takes his time…wanting her to be completely satisfied. He takes a single finger to lower one strap on her shift, then drags it down a little to uncover one breast. As the nipple is presented to his hungry gaze, his mouth takes it and sucks hard. Katia arches into the bed and grips the back of his head to keep him there. _My husband could never do this! _she thinks asLance is taking her places that she has never been before and she revels in that knowledge. His eager hands make quick work of her under clothes and lying bare to his gaze, she feels his desire and returns it with the same intensity.

She also notices that he still has his pants on, so she pushes back on him to unfasten his pants. His heavy breathing quickens as she works diligently at getting him completely undressed. When the zipper is pulled down, he stands and lets the pants and underwear fall to the floor…after he removes his shoes. She stares at his glorious body and moans again, "Lance…please…"

"As you wish, Kita…" he whispers huskily and bending back down he devours the other nipple in the same fashion as before. She grips the sheets underneath her and undulates wildly. Lance then kisses her passionately once more, and then lets his tongue trace a path down her torso and to that dark peak. His tongue teases there and she instinctively open her legs. Her mind has shut down and all she can do now is feel his skilled touch in her womanly core. His tongue flicks her secret button back and forth until she screams out her joy. When he takes it and sucks on it, she lifts up, stars flashing before her. She flops back and grinds her hips against him as he continues his relentless assault. She feels herself climbing that elusive peak, getting ready to fall off…when he stops. Frustrated, she hits him…making him laugh gently. "You are anxious, love…but not yet. I have so much more to give you."

She almost faints at the possibility and watches him, through hazy eyes, take her nipple again and position himself between her legs. "Yes, now, Lance…now!" she whimpers and he slowly pushes forward, feeling the wetness surrounding him and the tightness of her. Once completely engulfed, he moves slowly and she quickly joins him…needing the motion and willing it to never stop. Placing her feet firmly on the bed, Katia rocks up into him while he grabs her about her hips, driving in deeper. Her excited pants and gripping fingers excite him to no ends, so he picks her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and moving them off the bed. He walks over to the wall, his lips buried in her throat as he holds her against it. He has not withdrawn from her and this angle fires him into a blaze that can't be doused. Holding her against him, he thrusts into her…her back sliding up and down against the wall. Her eyes roll back in her head and she rakes her nails across his back as she chants his name over and over with each excited thrust.

Lance can feel her body quiver and his manhood swelling…_it's time_. He kisses her deeply, then he groans out, "Come for me, sweet Kita…come for me!"

"Yes, Lance…I can feel it…I can feel it…" she gasps and the final thrust he delivers sends them over the edge. She screams as if she has touched something as brilliant as heaven and collapses in his arms. He wearily walks her back over to the bed and lays her down before flopping down next to her. Katia rolls on her side and caresses his face, smiling at his sated look. He smiles back and says, "You are amazing…"

"So are you…now, get some rest," she gently commands and he pulls her to him as he returns, "Only if you will…"

She kisses him on the forehead and allows him to snuggle into her neck. Feeling the safest she has felt in years, she falls asleep with a single tear running down her cheek.

* * *

_Planet Pollux…._

The shuttle lands in the area behind the main castle…a small group of people stand, waiting for the visitor. As the ramp lowers, a solemn Keith disembarks from the ship and heads for them. Bandorand Sven smile to greet him, but they have a ton of questions. Sven steps forward, "It's good to see you again, my friend…but I have to say that I don't completely understand why you're here."

Keith shakes his hand and replies, "It's a long story, Sven, and one that I really don't want to get into right now." Sven can see the agony in his eyes and nods as Romelle comes over. When she reaches them, she swings her arm back and slaps Keith full across the face. Sven stands there shocked as she then turns away from them and heads back into the castle, with a very confused Bandor on her heels.

"I guess that means she has talked to Allura…" murmurs Keith and Sven puts a hand on his arm to hold him back. "What did you do for her to do that?" Keith stops and lowers his head. Sighing deeply, he says, "Take me to where I' m staying and I'll fill you in…"

They walk silently down the hall to the guest quarters and Sven lets Keith in before him. He allows Keith to place his bag on a nearby table before asking him, "Alright, there is no one here that will belt you one, so what did you do to Allura?"

Sven folds his arms as he waits for Keith to speak, but he doesn't expect the total look of agony on his face once he turns to look at him. "Keith, what is it?"

Keith sighs…usually Lance is his confidant, but he just couldn't bring himself to let him know what was going on. "Sven, I left her…for her own good. I told her I loved her and that I couldn't live without her, and I walked away." He sits on the edge of the bed and hangs his head low. It feels good to get this off his chest, but it doesn't stop the hurt and aching longing that he will always have for her. Sven stands there, trying not to smile…but not succeeding. "I was wondering when you were going to admit you loved her, but that doesn't explain how or why you're here." Keith sighs again and starts his tale from the beginning…from learning that he shares a psychic connection with Allura to the visions he was receiving about Lotor killing Allura because of the love they share. The Norwegian looks at his friend and he feels for him…knowing what it feels like to be helpless to help the one you love more than yourself. As Keith finishes, a small tear falls down his cheek and Sven lowers his head. He thinks a minute before he speaks, "I understand why you did this…I understand the fear, but did you think you may have jumped the gun a bit? You said that Coran had a seer coming to interpret your visions, why couldn't you have waited…"

"I couldn't wait…I can't risk her, I _won't _risk her! With this whole psychic…thing…I have to believe what I was told. She knew things that only Allura and I could've ever known!"

Sven frowns, "Like what?"

Keith stands and moves over to the window, looking out over the Polluxian landscape. It does resemble Arus in a lot of ways, but the beautiful garden that he helped Allura recreate around the castle is missing…

_Allura…dammit, Allura!_ His mind screams at him and an encompassing ache enters his heart. Slowly, he finishes his tale. "We…well, we made love after Lotor tried to kidnap her. We didn't want another minute to go by without loving each other completely."

Sven nods, "I know how that feels. I thought my life had begun all over again when I was able to love Romelle as I have always wanted." He stands and walks over to his distraught friend, "You know you are welcome here, and once Romelle calms down and finds out the real reason you're here…she'll be glad you came here instead of transferring to some God-awful place on the other side of the galaxy!"

Keith smiles and claps Sven on his shoulder, "Thanks…I was getting tired of people hating me. The team wanted to collectively kick my ass and Allura…"

"Yeah, I can imagine." Sven looks closely at him and sees something glinting in his eye. "You have another plan, don't you? You may have left her, but you plan on doing something about this…aren't you?"

Keith nods, "I have to find out what this all means…this ring she gave me has been trying to tell me something. Seeing the strange look on the Norwegian's face, he explains some more as he shows the ring to him. "Allura gave me this ring…it belonged to her father, but she gave it to me. When the visions started, it glowed and they stopped. The final vision I had seemed to have been broken up by it, so it had to be trying to warn me."

'Who can tell you what it means?" Sven asks and Keith shrugs. "Coran called a seer named Soren to come to the castle, but I couldn't wait for him to arrive."

"Maybe you should have…"

"I know, but once he gets there, I'll contact him to find out what's going on. Then maybe…" Keith starts, but his friend finishes, "Maybe Allura will forgive you?"

"Yes…"

Sven stretches, "Well, I hope for your sake that she can, or you'll be a mess for the rest of your life." He peers at Keith once more and asks, "Don't you think…"

"No, I'm not going to tell Allura until I find and destroy the threat to her life." He wags his finger at Sven, "And you can't either…she can't know, not yet."

The handsome former pilot shakes his head, "I think you're making a mistake…believe me, you don't want to keep _these_ ladies pissed off for long!"

They both laugh, and then Keith moves over to his bag and begins to unpack. Sven sighs as he states, "Well, I'll go tell Romelle what you told me, or she would have come after you with a blaster at dinner!"

Keith smiles again, "Thanks for the help…and thanks for the talk."

"Anytime, Commander…" and he leaves the room. Keith quickly removes the package with the flower and places it beside his bed. Feeling a little tired, he decides to take a short shower before taking a nap. He walks into the bathroom and turns the water on, feeling dusty and rundown. Once the water has reached the temperature that he wants, he strips down quickly and climbs in. The water pours over him and he starts to relax…until he lifts his face into the water and a distinct tickling along his hip startles him. "What the…?" he asks and he looks down. All that's there is his tattoo and he smiles again. Who would've ever thought that something like this would be an aphrodisiac to his princess? An anguished groan escapes him and he drowns his head again under the water…that just isn't going to change, is it?

He will always consider her his…

He washes fast and when he gets out, he wraps a towel around his waist…the strange tickling feeling still hovering around his tattoo. Keith goes back into the room and stretches out on the bed and quickly falls asleep…

Dinner on Pollux is much like it is on Arus, but there aren't as many people at the table. It is as lively though…with Bandor spouting on about one of his many adventures and Romelle trying to calm him down. Sven takes it all in stride and Keith just smiles, listening to the banter. The beautiful princess catches his eye and asks, "So, Keith…you're hiding here?"

He chokes on the water that he happened to be drinking, "What?!"

She smiles sardonically, "You're hiding here. Sven told me what happened, but you should have told her instead of having her think that she's losing you forever!" Keith sighs, fully expecting to catch a backlash from his actions, so he silently takes the lashing while Sven bites back his laughter. Romelle looks him over and relents, "Truly, I understand…I just think she should know…"

"No, she can't! Not yet…" he finally exclaims, taking them all by surprise, but then he grabs his head and groans out loud. Sven asks him, "Keith…Keith, are you alright?" But Keith doesn't hear him…he sees that vision again, and it's gotten worse…

_Lotor is cackling over the severely wounded body of Allura and she is barely breathing. Keith's throat is raw from all of the screaming he has been doing to stop him…his arms are bleeding from where he is straining against his restraints to get to her. Lotor wipes the blood splatter off his face and motions to three guards standing off to the side. Turning to the Voltron commander, he spews viciously, "She has been forever soiled to me and I would never take another man's leavings, so you can watch as these loyal guards have her. I'm sure that she won't mind having even more filth between her legs. _

_Allura's weary head lifts up at the words and her eyes widen as the first guard begins to remove his pants. To add insult to injury, Lotor rips what is left of her clothes off of her and spats on her, "You should have loved ONLY me! Now…you can be fucked by whomever thinks they can do better than her "chosen" lover! Enjoy boys!" And the prince walks away. Allura meekly shakes her head as the first man takes her by the waist and lifts her against him. Keith shuts his eyes…dying inside because he can't stop her screams, hating that he can't do anything to put her out of her misery. The words said to him earlier come back to him, "You must leave her to save her life…this will not happen if you leave her pure…" Torrents of tears fall down his face as he tries to block out those horrible sounds. But, a strong light fills the room and the men stop to look at it. Keith peers up and the ring is glowing a brilliant red…sending a beam at the guards… _

"Keith! Keith!" calls Sven as he shakes him back to reality. Romelle and Bandor stand over him with worried looks on their faces. Keith brings himself back, tears still falling down his cheeks…Sven waiting to find out what just happened. "It was another vision…even worse than the others I have had. Lotor had beat her within an inch of her life, then he allowed…some guards…to…oh God…" The Black Lion pilot, known for his nerves of steel, starts to shake uncontrollably and Sven takes hold of his shoulders. Empty eyes stare at the Norweigian as he says, "Now, do you see? I can't let that happen to her…I would rather die than let that happen to her. I had to leave…I have to keep her safe, even if it means that I never see or hold her again." The piteous tone in his voice keeps Romelle silent…she knows nothing of this kind of communication. A tear slips down her face at seeing this proud man in such mental pain. "We will help you, Keith…I swear we will help you. She _does _need you, but we can talk about that later. Sven, take him to his room…he's been through enough for tonight."

Sven nods and helps Keith out of the chair, walking with him out of the dining area. As they watch them leave, Romelle and Bandor stare at the retreating figure, shaking their heads.

"I have never seen Keith like this…is it possible that he's telling the truth? Is there a danger to Allura? Was he right in leaving her?" Bandor asks and Romelle furiously shakes her head. "Nothing that has happened should keep two people in love like that away from each other. Life's too short and with this war going on, who's to say if we'll have a tomorrow. No, I understand his fear…but it was that same fear that kept me and Sven apart for so long. We lost time we didn't need to because of the unknown." Her fierce gaze pierces her younger brother as she continues, "We had to cast that aside so that we could move on…there were people to help and Keith has always had that tendency to try to do everything himself. He needs help and we're going to give it to him."

Bandor looks puzzled, "What do you mean by that sister?"

She smiles, "I won't tell Allura what this is all about, but I think we can find out all there is to know about this connection between her and Keith. Maybe there is something more to it than any of us know."

"Good idea…now can we finish dinner?"

A smile forms on her face and she moves to the doorway. "Go ahead, Bandor…I'm going to help Sven."

Shrugging, the juvenile prince finishes his meal…

Sven helps Keith to lie down and once his head hits the pillow, he's fast asleep. It was more than a little unnerving to see his cool captain fall apart like that, but he can sympathize. He hears the door slide open and can sense his love come up behind him.

"Is he okay?"

"He's sleep now…but he really has a lot on his mind. He's in real torment."

She turns him around to face her and kisses him lightly, "That's what we're here for. As many times as he has bailed us out, we can do this for him." Sven places his arms around her waist, "I knew you would come around…"

"I still think he's wrong, but I understand why now."

He turns to look back at his friend, "Let him get some sleep…he needs it."

They both look on him once last time and quietly leave him to his much needed slumber.


	15. Chapter 15

And we just keep rolling along...welcome to the continuing adventures of Keith and Allura!

I am so blessed to have so many people that love this story...thank you all for your support and reviews. All constructive reviews are welcome!

Hang on everyone...the best is yet to come, so don't feel too sorry for Keith yet! LMAO

As is the normal thing..I do not own Voltron...and the fucking negotiations are falling through! LMAO

Thanks to my editors...;)

I now present...

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Planet Arus… _

Allura stands on her balcony, staring out at the stars…one in particular. She can't help but wonder if he is thinking about her…because she sure is thinking about him…hasn't stopped even though he told her good-bye. She breathes in a heavy sigh and dreamily pictures his slow smile and engaging looks. _I have been blessed by the lions to have such a man love me so much…which is part of the reason why I can't understand any of this._

The only one that can explain and make any sense of this will be here in a few short hours. _Maybe he can make it clear as to what is going on and get my love to come back_. She wraps her arms around herself…missing his warmth and confident touch.

Again, she is taken unaware as another figure appears on the balcony with her. "Good evening, Princess…I hope I didn't disturb you."

Allura turns abruptly and stares into the face of her new commander. Keero is smiling down at her, waiting for a reply. It has been very obvious from the start that he is attracted to her and since knowing Lance and being with Keith…the signs of flirting are clear to her. She gives him a small smile in return, "You didn't…how are you this evening? Finding everything okay?"

He moves over to the railing and looks out over the grounds below. He had heard of the beautiful princess of Arus, but words do not do her justice. He takes a sidelong glance at her…hoping that she takes notice. He had heard quite a few things about the happenings on this planet, but they were all rumors. Now, he wants to see if the rumors are true. "I know that me being here is a little awkward, but I want you to know that I will do my very best to live up to my predecessor. My training in the lions begins tomorrow and I am looking forward to the challenge." He turns to her and takes her hand, kissing it lightly. "My life in your service…" he murmurs and instantly tears form in her eyes. Shocked, he pulls back. "Are you alright? What did I do?"

Allura wipes her face quickly…he sounded like Keith when he said that very same thing on that day so long ago. For too long now, she has wanted to shout from the castle roof how she feels about the Voltron captain, but they were wise to keep it quiet for now. If it had gotten out before now, what was going on…he probably would've been transferred to a much further place, since fraternization is completely prohibited.

But, she's standing here, willing herself not to cry in front of this man over something she had no control over. Keero senses her sorrow and moves in closer. He cautiously wraps his arms around her and she totally breaks down. Her racking sobs shake her body and he holds her, carefully. Unfortunately, his intentions are not all noble…he had intentionally searched her out to speak to her alone. Many times he had tried to get her alone so that he can feel her out better, but they were never in a situation where that was possible. He gently pats her on the back as she releases what trouble she has…but he doesn't ask about it. Right now, he's in the position he has been dreaming of ever since he heard that he was being transferred here.

Allura calms down and pulls back, embarrassed about her breakdown. She had thought that she was over all of this, but how can she be? "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to do that…"

"No problem…if you need a shoulder to cry on, let me know and I'll come running." Keero replies. He hopes the lecherous grin on his face isn't noticeable. _Any chance I can get to be alone with her; I'm going to snap up!_

Allura smiles gently and turns to leave. He realizes what she's about to do and stops her, "You don't have to go for my benefit, and you don't have to be embarrassed about anything…" She looks back at him and catches her breath. In some ways, he's just like Keith, but he's a little too pushy and full of himself. She sends a vote of thanks up to him and Lance for showing her, inadvertently, the ways of social interaction between men and woman…namely flirting. Lance is an incurable flirt and does it whenever he can…Keith had only started when they confessed how they felt about each other. This guy here is a non-stop flirt factory and she really doesn't want to be bothered. The problem remains that he is her commander now and she has to listen to him…once he's fully trained, and that might be a whole other problem altogether.

"I am tired anyway, Keero…thanks. I'll be heading to my room now."

"I can walk you…"

She shakes her head, "No, I'll be fine…good evening, Commander," and she walks out. Keero has to bite his tongue…he hadn't meant to come across that pushy, but he had been enjoying her company too much to let it go. He smiles greedily…so, that was the Princess of Arus, he can see why Prince Lotor is so obsessed with her. The young man turns back out to the night sky and his smile widens…_well, I have a way better chance than HE does!_

* * *

The princess makes it back to her room and quickly heads to her bookshelf in the corner. Picking up her favorite book of poetry, she flips it to the last page and removes the blooms placed there. Keith had given her these flowers on his birthday a few months ago…had completely missed his party to pick these for her. The exchange was very awkward, but at that moment…she knew he had her heart. She gently smells their delicate aroma…the scent that she loves, Arusian lilies and smiles sadly. Her dark warrior is gone and who knows when he's coming back.

Depressed, she climbs into bed…fully dressed. She just can't feel anything light against her right now…too many erotic thoughts may attack her in her sleep and reaching out to him is not an option right now to satisfy her. She will not think that everything is done and over between them…her heart can't take it, yet. Closing her eyes, Allura dreams of her lover…

The next morning, Nanny comes in and tries to wake her, "Princess…what are you still doing in that gown?! It's going to be ruined! Get up girl, and let's get ready for the day!" Allura yawns and opens her eyes, but doesn't move. Her governess looks at her, "Are you alright? You're not moving?"

"No, I'm not alright. I think I need to stay in bed today…"

Worried, Nanny rushes over to her and feels her forehead and frowns, "You do feel a little warm. Come on, get out of that dress and into a nightgown. I'll tell the team that you are not well and to practice without you. I'll also have Dr. Gorma come in to see you…now move!"

Allura doesn't argue and allows Nanny to take off the gown and put on a white nightgown. Climbing back into bed, she sighs and stares off at the far wall. Nanny caresses her cheek and says, "I'll bring you some tea and toast…maybe that will help you feel better…"

_The only thing that will make me feel better is to have Keith come back to me…_she thinks as she closes her eyes.

* * *

Nanny walks down the hall and enters the dining area where the rest of the Voltron force is eating already. She sniffs at the almost barbaric way they tear into their food, but she stays silent as she relays her message to Lance, who is at the buffet making his plate. "Lieutenant, her Highness won't be practicing today…she's not feeling well and is staying in bed. Dr. Gorma will be in to see her later." She then turns to head to MedTech and Lance could swear she was happy in telling him that. Shaking his head, he turns to the others and tells them what has happened.

"Looks like it'll be just us today…Allura isn't feeling well and isn't coming."

"We should check on her after practice, now…let's finish eating so we can get to the lions," says Hunk as he scarfs down another piece of bacon. Pidge drains his drink and stands to take his plate to the kitchen while saying, "No time like the present…"

Keero stares at his plate and scowls…it seems as if nothing is going to go his way when it comes to the Princess. _There will be no chance in hell of me getting alone with her in her room…that battle-ax of a guardian will be hovering around her room since she's sick!_ He carefully hides his fierce disappointment and smiles, "Yeah, I'm ready!"

"We'll see, flyboy…let's go." Lance returns and watches Keero runs out the room. The angry look on the new commander's face wasn't missed by him…he saw how pissed he was when he found out about the Princess. _This guy needs to be watched…I don't like the way he looks when anyone mentions the Princess…_

"Damn Keith, you just had to leave all this on me?!" he exclaims to no one, and then he heads towards Castle Control as well.

Coran programs the training flight patterns into Red Lion, while Lance prepares to fly Blue. He looks out at the monument that houses the great black beast and sighs…can't bring himself to take him out yet. 'Alright, Coran…raise the chutes." Lance commands and the advisor nods. The main console lifts and the chutes to the underground tunnels appear. The lieutenant points to his chute, "Keero, that's the one that goes to Red Lion…hang on to the t-bar and ride it into the launch craft. It heads out to him…"

"Right…" and the handsome young man heads for the chute. The rest of the force hangs back for a minute, "I don't trust him." Pidge says and Hunk agrees "Yeah, something doesn't sit right with him."

"I know…we have to keep an eye on him. And he doesn't get into Black until we can find out all about him…agreed?"

The team nods and Coran adds, "I will contact Galaxy Garrison to find out some more information about our new commander." The cocky lieutenant nods, "Well, can't leave him out there in my baby…let's go!" and they all head down the chutes.

As the lions launch into the air, Lance calls the lead…"Hunk, I need you to race Keero. Take him over the Chozzerai River and race the length of it…at mach 5."

"Why that slow?" asks Yellow Lion and Keero chimes in, "Yeah, don't do me any favors…"

Lance frowns, "I'm not...but this is your first time in these lions and you need to learn the controls. Mach 5 is fast enough right now." He hears mumbling from Red Lion and asks exasperatedly, "Is there a problem, Commander?"

There is a bit of silence before, "No, let's go..."

Lance stares at his screen, wishing he could tell that ass where to go and get off, but they need him right now. They would be totally vulnerable without him in one of the lions. _Damn…_he thinks as he moves into formation with Pidge_…never thought that we would have this problem. Always thought Keith would be here…_

It's a little too late for would've, should've, could'ves, now they have to get this prick up and flying so that they can still count on Voltron. _But, there is one thing that won't happen…he will NOT take command. It may hurt him, but Keero can stay in Red…Black will never be flown by him…he's Keith's baby and only the second in command should have that privilege, rank or no rank_.  
Lance takes Blue up higher to get a good view of the race…Hunk and Keero have lined up at the beginning of the river, waiting for the go sign. "Now, remember…mach 5 and no funny business. This is to see how well you can handle him."

"Copy." Is the short reply and Lance groans…_this guy is going to be a problem!_

"Get ready…on my mark, three..two…one…mark!"

Both lions fire their retrothrusters and speed off down the river. A few fishermen in a boat hear the sonic boom from them and look up to see two streaks…one red and one yellow disappear as quickly as they appeared.

Keero throws Red into overdrive and blasts past Hunk…going an unsanctioned mach 7. He twists and turns Red, showboating a little…not thinking of what kind of damage he may be doing to his credibility and trust in his teammates.

_This has gotta make them see that I can fly Black Lion…that I can command this team. I'm not a snot-nosed kid that knows nothing! _he thinks as he blasts to the end of the river and hovers there to wait for Hunk. Smiling ridiculously, he contacts Hunk by vidscreen, "How did you like that?"

"You were okay, but you didn't stay within the parameters. We were to stay at mach 5…" starts Hunk, but an overexcited Keero returns, "But, I wouldn't have been able to win by staying under mach 5…"

"That wasn't the point, Commander, and you were told that!" says Lance coldly, coming in over the vidscreen with a very distinct scowl on his face. Keero doesn't back down, "I have to prove that I can handle being in command and Black Lion."

"Not by_ not_ listening to orders, Commander Takashi!! To be in command of the Voltron force, you need to listen to orders as well as give them!" reprimands Lance and he can almost feel the hatred emanating from Keero, and he doesn't care. He has been second in command for nearly three years now and he'll be damned if some hot-shot asshole kid is going to ruin what they have created here because of some damn ego trip! Sighing, he calms down and gives another order, "Pidge…we also need to test out the firing systems on each lion, try out the different mechanisms."

"Right, Lance…do we head to Altaire or to Corinth?" asks Green Lion.

"Corinth…I think we should use the targets that we have already in place there." As an afterthought, Lance says, "Keero, you think you can handle the instructions from now on?" Knowing how big of an ego he has…he knows just hearing that must be killing the kid.

"Copy," is his quiet reply, but it's laced with anger.

The four lions then fly off to Corinth…

* * *

After the practice, Lance is in a dangerous mood. The rest of the practice went fairly well, but he had to butt heads with Keero the entire time. As the team reenters the control room, Keero stalks through the main room and straight to the pilot's lounge without saying a word to anyone. Lance stands and watches him, shaking his head. Coran comes up to him, "I heard what happened over the monitors…he's a little hot-headed."

Lance runs his fingers through his hair as he says, "I know…I was just like that, but I had the guys to keep me in line, especially Keith. This guy…he doesn't want to listen to anyone!"

Coran nods his head, "That seems to be his pattern…I was able to get some information about him from Galaxy Academy. I sent the report to your personal terminal…I think you should look them over."

Lance turns to look at him, saying, "Thanks, I'll get to it later…first, I have to debrief the team…whether he wants it or not!" and he walks to the pilot's lounge after seeing Pidge and Hunk enter.

Sighing, he looks at how they are situated in the room…Pidge and Hunk on one couch, Keero in a chair on the other side of them…

_The outsider…_

"Today's practice was to see what Keero knew and what he needs to know, and the first thing is following orders…" The young commander stares daggers at him before saying, "I never had this problem at the Academy…they let me run my team the way I saw fit."

Lance walks over to him and stares back down at him, "The difference being that _this_ is Planet Arus and we don't do things here the same way as the Academy. We have to earn our respect and commands here…they're not just given to us just because we may feel that we should have it!"

Keero sits up, as if he wants to argue again, but quickly stops when he sees the others sit up as well. He's the outsider here and it has only been one day…gotta hold off and wait this out. Settling back, he clamps his mouth shut and continues to listen to the rest of the meeting. Lance thoroughly goes over every aspect of the practice run, impressing Hunk and Pidge, who have seen Lance fall asleep during some of the meetings with Keith. After the meeting is over, they decide to tell him, "Hey, Lance….very professional. Sounded like the Cap…" says Hunk and Pidge agrees, "Yup, I was impressed."

Lance smiles cockily, "Someone has to keep you guys in line until he comes back…"

Pidge frowns, "What makes you think he's coming back?"

Lance claps him on the back, "Because he damn sure doesn't want to leave _me_ in charge!" He heads towards the door, "Now, let's eat!"

They all laugh as they leave out the lounge…Hunk leading the way.

* * *

Allura stares at the ceiling, not wanting to do anything or say anything. She knows that this is not what Keith would want, but it's too damn hard. Her feelings for him run too deep for her to just forget. She wearily raises her head and wipes her eyes. Sleeping has not been easy lately…since she has gotten used to having him with her when she sleeps. _Damn, knew this was going to happen!_ she thinks as she slowly moves to get out of the bed. The tired princess heads to the bathroom and looks closely into the mirror, shocked at what she sees. Her face appears to have been ravaged…her eyes are sunken back into her head and all of the usual luster she is so famous for has disappeared. _So, this is what love does for you, huh?_ she asks herself wearily. She turns on the water and splashes a little on her face, looking back in the mirror to see if it has changed, to no avail. Even more depressed, she moves back into the room and goes over to the window to looks out over the grounds. Nothing seems to lighten her mood now…everything seems that much more dull. _Am I ever going to get over this?_ she asks herself again…but then she perks up…the seer is to arrive in a few days. Now, she can get some answers, and maybe find out if she can override the command from Galaxy Garrison…

The very thought lifts her spirits even more and she heads back to her bed to lie down. She grabs a book from her bookshelf and settles in on her pillows to start reading. She learned soon after Keith arrived that he loved to read and used to find him in the library or in his room with a book during the down times. He had started to read to her some of his favorite stories, to introduce her to the literature of Earth…and she did the same with him, sharing her favorites growing up. Most of the times that they spent together were of this nature, sharing books and talking about their lives before meeting in that rundown shell of a castle so many years ago. It wasn't until that day he told her his feelings that everything changed and they found more…stimulating ways of spending that time. She grins happily, knowing that deep down in his heart of hearts, he still loves her as she does him. But, right now…the anger and frustration as to why he left her keeps her upset and puzzled. Allura looks at the book, _Sonnets by William Shakespeare_, and opens to the first one. After hearing _Macbeth_ and _Romeo and Juliet_, she realized that Keith was actually a true romantic at heart. Snuggling down in the pillows, she reads…picturing him reading these beautiful words to her.

* * *

Nanny comes to the room a few hours later, wanting to check up on Allura and finds her, sprawled out on the bed with the book resting on her lap. She moves over to take the book and put it away, but Allura grabs hold of it…still asleep and mumbling nonsensically to herself. Smiling, the governess leaves it and lets her settle back down. _Well, she needs the rest anyway…_ thinks Nanny and she walks back out the door.


	16. Chapter 16

Hi! Sorry about the delay...but here is the next installment. I have been pretty busy lately and it just doesn't stop! LMAO

I am working hard on the final installment to this trilogy...as well as some other fanfiction that I have just finished and am posting on the more _ADULT_ site! LOL

Again, I bow at the feet of my editors who have been dilligent in helping me get this shit right!

Also, NO...DAMMIT! I don't own Voltron! LOL

I now present...

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Planet Doom…_

A few days later…

Haggar stares into her crystal ball…something doesn't seem right. Her plan for Allura is in motion, but there is something that seems out of place…almostlike she didn't account for every little aspect of this idea. She cannot overlook anything now…now that she's so close to success. The crystal has been tuned into Allura's mind…slowly creeping its way into her subconscious. Once it has a firm hold, the color of the crystal will turn pink and will be ready for the final step. Cackling manically, the old witch busies herself with little odd jobs around her lab. She prepares the place for her very important visitor and she also prepares to look in on her ace in the hole, that neither Lotor nor Zarkon knows about. _This mission is too important to leave in the hands of the bumbling fools that are the King and Prince of Doom. Sometimes, I have to wonder why I have put up with them for as long as I have…but then I don'treally have a choice…they have the resources that I don't, as well as the means to obtain them. They have their uses, after all_… she thinks as a small smile creeps on her face.

But now, this could eliminate all of that…she would be able to take over and be the Queen she has always thought she should be. She knows that Zarkon and Lotor wouldn't keep their promises to her, so she has to take the situation into her own hands. Haggar moves back over to the table and the crystal, watching it glows and grows lighter.

Pleased with the results, she walks over to her viewing globe to look in on her "ace"…to make sure that everything is progressing the way that she has planned. By keeping Lotor out of the way and planning this all by herself, she has prevented unnecessary delays and possible failure. Haggar looks over at her cat that is sitting at the edge of her dark magic pit.

"Coba, we are almost there…just one more day and we shall have everything that we have always known we should have. And those fools have no idea what is really going on!" She motions to Coba to come over to her and she starts to rub his back. Smiling, she continues to talk to him. "Once I have total control over the Princess's powers I will have all the power I need to take over the throne. I may decide to keep Lotor around as a slave of sorts…but mainly because the Drule empire doesn't accept females in the position of hierarchy, so he would be a figurehead." She cackles again, very pleased with herself, "I can feel it, kitty. It is so close now I can actually taste it and know it to be mine…"

"Haggar, are we ready yet?" comes a loud masculine voice.

_Damn, he would come in when I am having a moment! _Not looking up from Coba, she answers, "I'm here, my prince. And no, we have one more day before we can commence the attack on Arus."

Lotor comes up to her, smirking, "I hope so for your sake, witch. My father doesn't like waiting and he much more patient than I." She finally looks up at him and drops Coba to the floor, listening to him hiss. "Patience, I have learned, is best served when completely certain that it will pay off…and this will."

Lotor could reply, but he decides not to…he can see that she is getting much more wrapped up in this mission than is necessary and from his hiding spot in the front of the lab, he had heard what she is planning to do. Unfortunately, to usurp her, he must do the one thing that he has been fearing that he would have to do to stop her…help Allura escape. He had done it once when Merla was going to send her to another dimension…his heart wouldn't let her. Now, the preservation of his kingdom and his chance to be emperor is at hand and he will not let her take that away for any reason.

_But, who or what is this secret of hers that can guarantee the Princess in twenty-four hours time? _He decides to probe her a little more, knowing that her mind is not on what he's actually doing right now. "How can you be sure that Allura will be in a position to be captured?"

She looks at him and smiles, "I have someone to assure that she will be. I will be in contact with them in the next few hours to give me an update…now if you will excuse me, I still have a things to do to prepare."

Lotor turns to leave, but not before he places a little bug under the edge of her table. It is undetectable and he has used it quite a bit around the castle to keep tabs on his father's movements. He leaves heading to the armory, where the soldiers there are training and preparing for the assault of the Castle of Lions. He stands in the doorway and folds his arms…_I will not start the assault until I know exactly what Haggar has on the planet to keep tabs on Allura…that obstacle must be removed first if the rest of my plan is to succeed._ They all may think he is too besotted with the Princess to properly handle another strike, since the last one had him in the infirmary for weeks. _That damn Commander…he has always been a thorn in my side, but a begrudgingly worthy adversary. It is very obvious that the man is love with the Princess as well, but not worthy enough for her…_

He chuckles at the very thought of a mere pilot thinking he has any kind of chance with royalty…Allura would never looks his way, she wouldn't dare! The Doomian prince sighs and turns away to head back to his room for some much needed rest. It seems as if this plan will take forever to come to fruition…

* * *

_Planet Arus…_

Keero has just finished his workout in the gym and is very wired. All of his attempts to assert himself in the ways of the Castle have failed and he still can't understand why they haven't just accepted the fact that he is the new commander. _The rumors on this part are true…they were like a family and the leader is now gone, so they are having a rough time getting past it. Well, it's been a week and they have to start to get over it…_

But the next problem is the Princess.

From the very first time he saw her, he was enchanted and knowing that she is of marrying age, wanted to make sure she knew she had another option. No one had any idea if any of the team had ever tried anything with her…that is the biggest kept secret. But from what he can make out here, they are all just friends…the only question being the departed captain.

As he makes his way to his room, he passes the corridor that leads to the East Wing. He could just make his way down there and try to talk to her; he has always had a way with the ladies…why should it be any different with her? He goes to move down the hall, but he sees Nanny coming toward him and changes his mind. _No wonder none of the team had a chance with her….she was never alone!_

_Damn!_ he sighs and makes his way to his quarters. He passes Keith's old room and stops, looking in to see if he can find anything in here that can explain why they are so stuck on him. The room doesn't have much left in it…looks pretty cleaned out, but from what he can gather, Keith was a neat freak…everything had its own place and he was orderly. He smirks; _no way this guy is better than him! _Totally disgusted with the idea that he's just the replacement, he leaves and heads to his room. Once he types in his code, he senses that something is wrong. Moving over to his dresser, he looks around, finding nothing. Keero then walks over to his bed and flops down on it…he does have something important to do, but it can wait. Closing his eyes, he relaxes, loving his new station in life. _Soon, they will have to trust me enough to pilot Black and then they will all see what Commander Keero Takashi is all about!_

* * *

Lance heads down the hall to Katia's room and gently knocks on the door. She opens the door with a greedy smile on her beautiful face and Lance immediately grabs her, planting a lustful kiss on her. She responds with all the fervor he gives to her and they stumble backward into the side of the bed. Not letting their lips apart, they fall over…with him landing on top and continuing to let their tongues duel. Pulling back to catch some much needed air, Lance smiles down at her.

"Well, hello there beautiful…" he murmurs.

"Hello, yourself there, Lieutenant…" she returns huskily and places a sweet kiss on his lips. "Now, as much as I would love to continue this, we need to get up right now…" she returns without very much resolve behind her words…his lips are hazing her common pouts, "But, this is so much more comfortable," and he grinds his hips slowly against hers, making her moan.

"Lance, we can't…"

"Oh, yes…Kita…we can…"

And he effectively silences her with another fiercely passionate kiss…his hands moving to her dress, slowly lowering it off her aching breasts. She moans again as she rips his shirt open and caresses his smooth chest. They hurriedly rip and pull each other's clothes off and come back together to begin their assent into paradise…

* * *

"See, I told you we could," he murmurs against her nipple before he lightly flicks it with his tongue. Katia smiles weakly as she runs her fingers through his hair, "I never thought we couldn't…I just didn't think it was a good idea at the time…"

He rises up and looks her in the eye, "Now, what do you think?" and he kisses her softly on her lips. She laughs and admits, "I was soooooo wrong!"

Lance laughs with her and rolls to his side, taking her with him. He strokes her damp hair away from her face as he dreamily thinks about how wonderful this all feels…how…right. His eyes shoot open at the thought…he has never thought of Katia as one of those others that he has been with for the sake of easing a need…she has become special. More special than he originally wanted to admit to. His feelings have always been easy, never get too attached so it was easy to let go…but now, he knows he can't let this one go.

_Is this how Keith feels about Allura?_ _Damn, no wonder he acts the way he does!_

He sits up gently and lets her rest. "What's wrong?" she inquires as she can feel him pull away from her. She sits up as well, gripping the sheets over her modestly and noticing that he has withdrawn from her. "Lance, please…tell me what's wrong?"

He turns to look into her emerald depths and can't say a word, afraid she won't understand. She smiles at him, "Lance, we can take this slow. I am more than sure that you weren't ready for this anymore than I was. I care about you…I care about you a lot and there are some things that we both need to figure out. But know this...I will not pressure you…"

Lance really doesn't know what to say now. This woman has not asked for anything from him…only gave when he needed and listened when necessary. He has only had that from the guys in the team, especially Keith. Now, he has found it in her and has never been more grateful for her. He kisses her slowly and thoroughly, "I…"

She can feel what he wants to say, but won't force it out of him. Katia places her finger to his lips and kisses him again, "Don't…not yet."

He nods and hugs her close. Sighing, Lance reluctantly lets her go and climbs out of bed. She stares at him while he dresses and smirks, grabbing his attention. "What's so funny?" he asks and she points to his rear.

"I love the strawberry!"

He stands and tries to turn around to look at what she's talking about, but he winds up turning around in a circle like a dog chasing his tail, which sends her into a fit of hysterical laughter. Lance stops when he sees her gasping for air and it hits him that she was talking about his birthmark.

"You are hilarious…" he says deadpanned and continues to dress with a hidden smile on his face. He has never had so much fun with a woman before and wants it to last…forever?

Shaking his head as he finishes pulling on his shirt, Lance comes back over to the bed and kisses her on the forehead…while she still giggles. "I'll see you later for dinner…I'm sure that Allura would love to have you for company. She has stayed in her rooms today…"

Katia calms down, "Is she alright?" Lance sits beside her and says, "She hasn't been the same since Keith left, but maybe seeing you will bring her out of it. And that idiot asshole of a commander doesn't help!"

She really pays attention now, "Who is the new commander?"

Lance sighs, "His name is Keero Takashi and I wish they knew what the hell they were doing when they picked him!"

Katia's face blanches and Lance asks her, "What? What did I say?"

Changing her expression, she smiles and places her hand on his cheek, "Nothing, I just had a bad memory, that's all. I still have bad dreams of my time on Planet Doom." He pulls her into his arms and comforts her, "Nothing will ever hurt you again...you have my word on it, Kita."

She closes her eyes and buries her face into his shoulder, hoping that he won't have to live up to that promise.

* * *

Coran sits at the main console when a transmission comes in over the special airwaves, "Castle Control, this is the shuttle Empyrean…we are approaching your airspace. Please transmit coordinates for the docking bay."

The advisor eyes light up..._The seer is finally here…and a whole day early. Maybe now they can figure out this whole crazy mess and get everything back to the way it's supposed to be. _He types in the coordinates and contacts the shuttle.

"Coordinates sent…you can start the landing pattern…"

"Copy."

Coran smiles and watches the monitors as the shuttle comes into view. He hears footsteps behind him and turns to see a much better looking Allura coming toward him. "I take it the shuttle is here."

"Yes, and I was getting ready to go down to the bay to greet him…would you like to come?"

Allura smiles genuinely for the first time in two days, "Let's not keep him waiting…" and she leads the way to the docking bay.

Allura and Coran stand together waiting for the passenger to disembark. The princess can hardly wait and the anxious look on her face almost has Coran breaking out into a fit of laughter. "Your Highness…don't be so impatient, he will be here soon."

She nods and stares at the ship, thinking to herself, _Please…where are you? I need your help so much…_

_**I am here now, my dear…just be patient a few minutes more…**_

She smiles when she receives the response. Watching the door open, a very aged old man comes out the shuttle and heads over to Coran. He isn't hunched over, as one would think, but upright and very regal. His hair is silver as is his facial hair. His eyes are a bright ice blue and mesmerizing to look at. Coran shakes his hand, then leads him over to her. "Princess Allura, this is Soren…high priest of the Temple of Arus. He was your father's mystical council while he was alive." She feels compelled to curtsy to him, but he places his hand on her shoulder, "Princess, there is no need. I know why I was called here and there is a lot for me to have to explain to everyone…is the Captain here?" He gets his answer when he sees her eyes drop and her breathing shakes.

"So, he has decided to leave…where has he gone?"

"Planet Pollux...that is where they stationed him," she murmurs and the old man pats her on the shoulder. "Don't worry…you'll be seeing your captain soon enough. Now, we need to have our conversation between the three of us. There is a lot of information that you need to know before the attack happens…"

"What attack? We have not detected any movement out of the ordinary from Planet Doom in some time now." Coran says, but the look in the seer's face changes his feeling. Allura looks at them and asks, "Should we step up the patrols?"

"It would be a good idea…" Soren returns as they begin to make their way to the control room. Once they arrive, Allura quickly presses the call button for the rest of the team, then she turns back to the two older gentlemen, informing them, "The team will be here in a few minutes…we can debrief them about the situation."

Soren nods, "Good…then we really must talk, my dear…" he moves closer to her and speaks in a very low voice, "You have many questions and worries that need to be addressed…especially about your captain."

She blushes prettily, "Why do you keep calling him _my_ captain?"

He smiles at her, "My dear…I know _everything_…and I will not tell a soul unless bidden to." Allura smiles in relief, "Thank you…they can't know about us, not yet." He smiles reassuringly at her and watches as the team finally comes into the control room with Lance leading the way. She smiles when she sees them, but her smile drops a little when she catches Keero's gaze and he leers back at her. _There is just something about him that doesn't sit right with me._ Pushing that feeling aside, she calls them over to them and starts to explain, "This is one of the seers from the Temple of Arus. He has told us that an eminent attack on the Castle is in the works, but we don't know when, where, or why. I wanted to get your input as to how we should handle the security details with this threat on the horizon."

Lance steps forward and looks over the satellite positioning of the long range sensors, "I think we should move the sensors 20 more tikets back from where they are now. The signal range has been pumped up since the last attack so we can still get good readings. Coran, I would suggest that we add at least ten more patrols around the castle and add guards to the Princess's wing for her protection."

The team agrees and Soren decides to speak, "Voltron Force, you are about to deal with forces that you have never dealt with before and you must understand the connections you all have with the lions to be able combat it." Every man in the room is riveted to what this man is telling them, but also wondering if he isn't just a little crazy. The unsure looks from the team urges Allura to speak, "I know this all sounds strange, but the lions weren't only made from steel and machines…they each have a spirit and they have chosen us to commune with them. Whatever is coming…we are going to need them and Soren can help us."

Pidge shakes his head, "This all sounds too weird for me…I love Green, but he's a machine…"

"And for you to succeed, you must change that thinking…and believe in something that you never have." Soren says. Hunk claps his little buddy on the back, "We'll understand all this…right now, my stomach is trying to eat its way out of my body!"

Laughing, Lance tells them, "Fine…dinner should be ready soon, so you guys can knock off until then. I have to get ready to bring Katia…"

Allura blushes, "Really now…you seem to spending a lot of time with her, is there something we should know?" The guys all send piercing glances at their lieutenant and he actually blushes at the attention.

"Oh, no…he's blushing!" Hunk exclaims and breaks out into roaring laughter. Pidge is doubled over while Coran and Allura smile broadly. The only one scowling is Keero, upset that he has been pretty much ignored the entire time.

But, the seer looks at him then and calls, "Keero Takashi…I sense your inner turmoil..."

"Nothing that I can't deal with…thank you. I'll take my leave." And he bows to Allura before walking out.

"I really don't trust him…" says Pidge and everyone looks shocked…it was what they were all thinking. "We'll keep an eye on him…right now Soren, the Princess, and I have a private meeting to attend to before dinner. Tell Nanny we will be the library until then and that we shouldn't be too late." Coran turns to a guard at the doorway, "Please take Soren's things to the room assigned in the West Wing." The guard nods, grabs the seer's bags and disappears down the hall while Coran and company head the opposite way to the castle library. Lance , Hunk, and Pidge stay in the control room, still looking over the modifications that need to be done in preparation for the attack.

The small group arrives in the library and Coran immediately locks the door to make sure that no one disturbs them…not even Nanny. "Please sit, Soren," he says and the wizened old man sits on the couch by the window. As he settles in, he looks at an apprehensive Allura and smiles, "My dear, what will be said here is not anything that any of us don't already know." Her eyes widen and she flips her gaze to Coran, who gives her a small smile. Uncertain, she takes a seat next to Soren and waits for him to speak again. The seer takes her hand and holds it as he starts to explain the strange happenings of the past few weeks. "I have always helped the royal family when they came into their psychic powers and I was afraid that with what happened, you would never come into them like you should." He smiles again, "Your catalyst for your power comes from intense emotions, but the main emotion is love…" Coran lowers his gaze, knowing what he's getting ready to say.

"Your feelings for the Voltron commander are your catalyst and you were able to establish a connection with him. This connection is as you have believed…it's a special bond that only exists between the two of you. What you feel for each other keeps it strong and the lion spirits depend on that strength to exist." He sighs a little before continuing, "Usually, only Arusians can have a connection such as you have, but Allura my dear…you have a power that surpasses anything I have seen in hundreds of years. This power has been released and now you have an even stronger enemy that covets that power for herself…""Haggar," she murmurs and he nods. "Haggar wants this power desperately and I suspect has been conjuring up a scheme to capture you to steal it. She has to create a black crystal for the transfer of powers and of course, obtain you."

Allura is speechless, now it has all been explained, but it doesn't explain why Keith left her…

_**I will tell you why later…because it will be up to you to bring him back…**_

Soren looks at Coran, "For Voltron to tap into her new powers, he must have his connector…Commander Kogane. Otherwise, Voltron will fail."

Coran speaks up then, "Should I recall the Captain, then?"

Soren shakes his head, "It won't be that easy, I'm afraid…he has to work out this insecurity for himself…he has to truly believe what he knows now is a trick. And only he can find this out…"

"Why? Why can't I just tell him?" Allura asks in a worried voice. Soren looks at her again, "You gave him your father's ring, did you not?"

Coran looks at her in surprise, but Allura just nods. "He has to know what that ring is for…and he will have a test soon. Once he realizes what he is destined for…all will be well." The two other people in the room sit stunned. What does this all mean?

To answer the unspoken question, "It will all come to you soon, but for now…I think I need to rest. It was a long trip." They all stand and Coran leads him to his quarters, leaving Allura in the library thinking. _Well, now Coran knows about me and Keith…and he hasn't said a word…_

_Yet…_

The beautiful princess sits back on the couch and stares into the dusk-hued sky. _I had been right…my connections to Keith are real and unique…and I'll be damned if I'm not going to fight for it. _Allura is concentrating on her thoughts, when she hears someone enter the room. She looks at the doorway and speaks, "Hello, Keero…I thought you had gone to your room."

The commander just looks at her, eyes darkening. "I was a bit restless, so I decided to come here and find a book to read." He sees the calm on her face and can't help but ask, "Are you alright now? You were so upset earlier…"

"Everything is great, now. I was just resting, but now I think I'll head to _my _room." As she stands, Keero sees his chance. "Would you like an escort? With us having to add the heightened security, I wouldn't want to leave you alone too long." Sighing, she nods and follows him out the door. They take a leisurely walk to her end of the wing, not saying much. Keero can't help but feel rising waves of desire for her and can't for the life of him see how she can be so…distant. Ladies flocked to him on Earth, even though he's not from there. He looks back at her and wonders what it would take to get her to express anything for him. They finally reach the door and she types in her code. Keero stands there, anxiously waiting to see what she's going to do now. As she walks in the door, she turns to him and smiles , "Thank you, Commander…and you have a good night,I don't think I'll be in for dinner. Please Nanny know."

"That's all?" he unwittingly blurts out and she gives him a strange look.

"What did you say?" she asks him and he realizes his blunder, "Uh, good evening, Princess." Keero bows and walks off, leaving her to wonder what just happened. He walks a little way down the hall and stops, turning back to watch her shut her door. If it weren't for the fact that it would get him locked up and have her hate him forever, he would've marched back and kissed her like he so desperately wants to. _How do those guys do it? How can they be around her and not want her? Are they all crazy?!_ he thinks and shakes his head. There is something more going on here and only that would explain why everyone acts the way they do. He looks at his wristcom and hurries off back to the library. He rushes in and heads over to the desk, reaching under it to grab the small listening device he had planted there. When he left the control room earlier, he headed in here first to plant this…to find out what they knew. He looks both ways in the hall to make sure that no one sees him walking in this part of the castle now, since it is in the wing with the Princess. He hurries back to his room and locks the door, checking for any sound devices or cameras before rewinding the disk and playing it.

_So, that's why she won't pay me any mind…she's in love with Commander Kogane! Interesting… _he ponders as memorizes everything that they said. He walks over to his bed and lies across it. _I never realized I had to fight the memory of the Commander this hard! I won't have any chance with the Princess while she still pines for him._ The calculating commander turns over on his back and wonders if they ever consummated their relationship, but quickly dismisses that thought…from what he heard about the captain, Keith Kogane was all business…never would anything like that enter his mind. He was too by the book. An evil smile crosses his lips at thinking he could be her first…sighing, he relaxes and finally falls asleep.

* * *

Allura gets herself ready for bed, putting on a pristine white nightgown. She moves to stand in front of the mirror, looking at herself closely. She can see the changes in her posture, her expressions, and the way she holds herself. Peering into her eyes, Allura sees the spark she knows she has whenever Keith is around. A brief vision of him has a profound effect on her body…her nipples harden and she feels a heaviness around her secret place. A light flush covers her body and her breathing labors a bit. _I can see how he makes me feel more confident about myself, how knowing that he loves me has me floating on air most of the time. We might have had to sneak around, but all the precious time that we have spent together has not been wasted and I still hold every moment deep within me._ She runs her hands over her hips and feels the slight tingle on her left side. She had been thinking about the enticing tattoo of Keith's earlier today and felt she had to do something to join with him in some way. So, she had made a request on her terminal for an artist to come to her quarters and while she was in her room for the day, she had her come in and draws this…Allura lifts the edge of her gown to look at her delicately done tattoo. It is of a raging lioness, done in a midnight blue and in the same place as she had seen Keith's. She lets her fingers run over the details of the claws and the sleek coat. Ever since she got it, she feels him…feels his touch. Smiling, she drops the edge of the gown and heads back over to her bed. Sliding under the covers, she actually has a better outlook on things than she had before Soren arrived, but the question still remains…why did he leave and will he come back?

Turning off the lights, Allura picks up the bouquet of pressed flowers again. Inhaling their fragile scent, she smiles again and unconsciously sends, _**Good night, my love…soon…**_


	17. Chapter 17

Okay...I know this is getting to be a nail-biter, but hang on...the best is yet to come!

I really have to thank my editors...Wade Wells, Mertz and CMS...all of whom have been BOGGED down with the amount of crap I have given them, not only for Voltron but for X-Men as well. You guys keep me on the straight and narrow...as well as kick me in the ASS to get me moving!

Thank you all for the reviews and I amglad that so many are enjoying my work...again, please review and check out my other works...the links are on my profile.

Anyway, Voltron belongs to those basteards that have no freaking clue what to do with the movie. Hey, here's one...TALK TO US!!!! LMAO

I present...

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Planet Doom…_

Haggar consulted every evil spirit she has ever known and she knows now is the time to strike. She looks over to the table to find the crystal glowing. "It is time, Coba," she says to her faithful cat. The cat sits there idly while she cackles. "I have to contact the Prince so we can launch the attack on Arus."

Moving out of the lab, she heads to the throne room to find Lotor. She walks in just as Lotor finishes a conversation with his father. "My prince, it is time…the Commander is on Planet Pollux and the new commander has not been able to fly Black Lion. The time is perfect for an attack, but you must remember we must capture Blue Lion intact."

Lotor sneers, "Of course, do you really think I would try to harm my future bride? The soldiers know what to do." Haggar nods, "Good, then I will prepare for the attack." She bows to both of them then takes her leave. Lotor turns back to his father and says, "Now, we can see what she is really up to. I will keep you updated on anything that happens. I know that we have to watch her closely on this mission, but we may have to do more."

Zarkon smiles, "You would love that, wouldn't you? But, unfortunately, I have need of her black magic…so you can' kill her. Under strict arrest will be good enough until I face her. At the moment you see her rebellion…strike. Do not fail me, Lotor."

Lotor bows, "I will not fail…" and takes his leave to prepare the fleet for launch. As he walks to the ship docks, he continues to work on his secret plan. _Haggar will never get her hands on that power…and she will not harm Allura if I have anything to do with it. I must know the proper moment to stop the transfer, or to take her before she even starts. Of course, I get the pleasure of destroying those lions and capturing the Princess...while destroying the treasonous dreams of an old witch!_

He smiles as he enters the ship dock…noticing that the engineers are preparing the small fleet that he had taken those weeks ago when he had so miserably failed to take Arus and got seriously injured in return. Moving over to the control panels along the wall, he taps into the bug that he placed in her lab. He watches as Haggar grabs all the things that she may need for this mission, especially that crystal. _That must be what she needs to capture Allura's power…need to get to it… _As he continues to watch, he can hear her cry out_, _"Those fools just don't know what they are getting themselves into! Soon there will be a new ruler of Planet Doom and it isn't going to be Lotor!" Lotor bristles, _this ancient woman has a lot of nerve to even think she would succeed in this_. He turns off the screen and turns to the first soldier that comes near him. "Soldier, I need you to do something for me…"

"Yes, sire?"

Lotor moves closer to say the words quietly, "You are to shadow the old witch, Haggar and report to me every hour until the fleet takes off. Since we will be launching soon, it won't be a long assignment. Use your communicator but be careful, . She is in her lab right now..."

The soldier salutes and takes off, not realizing that he is heading into a situation that can cost him his life. Satisfied that he has found a way to confuse the witch, Lotor turns back to the details of the launch. The first part of the plan is to have her think that she is being followed and monitored to knock her off her kilter a little, then hope she makes a mistake. She does have a head for strategy, but with the almost psychotic way she is handling this, he has to wonder.

The Doomian prince commands a few soldiers to make sure that the fighters have been charged then he goes to Haggar's quarters…to hurry her up. Walking down the hall, he passes his new spy and gives him a brief nod…then enters her room to see her casting another spell. The room is filled with a musk scent and a dark mist. Red lights and towering flames are shooting out of the pit in front of her. He stands and waits for her to finish, reminding himself that she still is somewhat of a mystery and shouldn't be underestimated…_but that doesn't hold for the Prince and King of Doom…who have a tight hold on this galaxy and nothing nor anyone can take it away from us. We have been at this too long for a lowly witch to gain any kind of foothold over this empire._

_Hold on Lotor, you have to play this smart or you'll lose Allura and your throne!_

He calms down and moves further into the room to speak to her, but she is still calling whatever devils she may be trying to talk to.

Haggar enters into a trance and calls her patron demon, pulling on his power to make sure the crystal is complete. She looks over at the table when she finishes and notices the bright pink glow. She cackles, "She is ready…we must hurry. Allura is at the point where her powers are at their peak and it is the best time to extract."

"What are you saying, Haggar?" he calls, but he really has heard every word. Haggar turns around, startled that he's there. "My prince, the crystal is prepared and time is of the essence. We must launch now!"

"What's the rush?" he asks, goading her into a mistake. Haggar snarls, 'We don't have time to waste…you want Allura, don't you? Now is the best chance you will ever have!"

Lotor smiles, "Then, what are we waiting for?" He moves over to the console and contacts the docking bay. "Prepare for launch in one hour. I'm coming back to check on my fighter." He turns to an anxious Haggar and says, "I'll send a soldier in here to help you with your things. A special room will be prepared for you on the cruiser, just tell him where."

Nodding, she hurries to gather her things off the table as he takes his leave. As Lotor walks past the spy, he tells him, "She's going to need help. Pay attention and help her…remember, it's your life if you don't."

Gulping, the guard enters the lab and Lotor walks back down to the ships.

Zarkon looks out over the fleet as it takes off for Planet Arus. He takes a sip of some Tyrusian wine as he watches them fly out of his sight. He had a hard time believing Lotor when he told him about the plan Haggar came up with, but the one thing he knows about his son is that he's too ambitious and would never let anyone destroy his chances for gaining the throne of back to his throne, Zarkon walks back over to sit down…

_Like he's going to ever get the chance!_

_

* * *

_

On the ship, Lotor watches the navigational charts and counts the minutes before he reaches Arusian airspace. _Soon, Allura…we will be together, and I will not have that witch harm you in any way!_

"Sire…it is 237 tikets to the outer perimeter of Arus." The navigator calls and Lotor nods, "Let me know when we have reached Arus…I will be with Haggar." He leaves and heads a short distance down the hall…to where Haggar is setting up an elaborate setting for whatever ceremony she plans to have. Stepping in the room, he asks, "What is all this for? It takes all of this to perform your extraction?"

"Yes, it has to be done perfectly or it will be for nothing. The princess must be placed here and this crystal upon her chest. I will say the ancient chant and the crystal will activate, drawing in all her powers. The stone will be blood red once completely full and the Princess will be yours."

As much as the idea thrills him, he does have a problem with it, "Will she be intact, or a mere puppet?"

Haggar almost spills the truth, but figures that it would be better to just give him what he wants to hear, "She will be fine…yours for the taking. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

She turns back to her preparations and he turns to head to his chambers. His spy is standing guard at the door and nods at the prince as he passes. Lotor heads to his room and relaxes on the bed. Closing his eyes, Lotor begins to dream of the beautiful Allura in his arms…happy to be there instead of fighting him. An evil smile crosses his thin lips as the images become more intimate…

* * *

_Planet Pollux…_

Keith opens his eyes feeling the lightest of touches in his mind and knows that Allura has reached out to him again, unwittingly. He can feel her love for him and for the one millionth time since he left her on Arus, he desperately wants to touch her back…to let her know she still holds his heart and soul. All he could get was the word "soon" out of her touch, but his mind still wonders what she means by all that. The sunlight slowly enters into his room and he finally gets up for the day. Sven and Romelle have been kind enough to leave him alone most of the time he has been here, and he has appreciated it, especially since that vision. They had both been careful not to keep reminding him of it and let him work it out, but he has been taking the time to track any movements out of Planet Doom, as well as trying to learn some more about the connection he shares with Allura. His plan today is to find out if the seer has arrived on Arus yet, and hopefully be able to contact him to ask about the visions. There has never been a time that Keith has wished he was wrong more than now…it hurts too much to see his friend and his princess so happy when he can no longer be with his.

Getting out of bed, Keith stands in the middle of the room…deciding that he needs to work out his frustrations. Starting by stretching out using Tai-Chi, he lets all of his anguish and worry flow out of him through the graceful movements of the art. His lithe body with its corded muscles twists and turns with the agility of a dancer, but the lethality of a jungle cat. His eyes close and he concentrates on the movements, blocking out everything but his pain from leaving Allura. He has tried, since telling her goodbye, to not concentrate on it, not to dwell on it…but it has its way of coming back to remind him. Keith's fingers shake as he imagines them holding her and he has to stop his meditations…they aren't working anyhow. Standing there holding his own hand, he sighs and goes into the bathroom to shower.

Taking a quick one, Keith comes back into the room to get dressed. While putting on his boots, his comm. unit beeps. He answers, "Kogane here."

"Keith, we need you in the control room," says Sven.

"Copy…will be there in a minute."

Finishing, he rushes out the room... arriving within a few minutes to a very anxious Romelle and Sven. Keith looks at the vidscreen and sees a fleet of Doom ships on the outskirts of the Polluxian borders. "They appeared only a few minutes ago and they are headed for Arus."

"Damn…" mumbles Keith. "I knew they were going to be up to something. How many ships are in the armada?"

"It looks to be a small fleet…Lotor's command ship leading the way," supplies Sven. Romelle stares at the two men, "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? That's why you're here!"

Keith shakes his head, "I knew that Lotor may try something once he knew I wasn't there, but that wasn't the reason why I left and please…it's not something I want to continue to discuss." She hardens her expression and Sven glares at her to say nothing else. _She is as stubborn as her cousin, but this is not a man that you can continue to harass, especially since the whole thing still bothers the hell out of him._ He shakes his head…_Romelle is not going to give up on this…she has always known that they were meant for each other and cannot for the life of her accept what he has done._Sven smiles, her sparkling blue eyes reminding him so much of Allura, but he stays his emotions and studies the screen once more.

"A call needs to be made to Arus…to let them know that an armada is on the way. Also, check to see if the seer has arrived and if so, please ask if I can speak to him on a private line," orders Keith and she nods, flipping on the switch to the radio.

Coran's face fills the screen while his voice booms over the system, "Princess Romelle, it is good to hear from you. Is everything well there?"

She smiles, "We're fine. We wanted to alert you to a small fleet of Doom ships headed in your direction. Lotor is in the lead."

There's a silence, "I had a feeling. Our visitor told us about this possibility…"

"Is that the seer that Keith told us about?" inquires Romelle.

"Yes, he told us that an attack was imminent. The only problem is what they plan to do and when."

Sven speaks now, "From what we see, they should be within Arus airspace by the midday tomorrow. I'm not sure what it will consist of, but we are monitoring communications as we speak."

A new voice fills the screen, "Nice to hear from you…ready to give Keith back now?"

Romelle stifles a groan while Sven responds, "Funny, Lance…I didn't make him come here…the Garrison did. It's up to him now…"

"That damn Keith! Still can't make up his damn mind, huh?" he grouches and they all smile. Lance peers into the screen, "Is that our old fearless leader I see back there? Too afraid to face us?"

The handsome pilot moves into view and smirks at his friend, "Never that. How is Keero working out?"

Lance frowns, "That is something for us to discuss at a later date…in the meanwhile, we have a few things we need to iron out before we're hit. I have to tell you that you may need to come back for Black. Keero's not going to be ready for him anytime soon."

"You know I'll be there if you need me to be. Just give me the word."

He gives a sharp salute, "The word is given! By the way…you have anything you wanna say to anyone here?"

Keith wishes he could punch him through the screen, instead he clenches his fist and bites out, "No. I'll be arriving before nightfall."

Lance persists, "You _sure _you don't have anything to say?" and in the background, Keith sees her. She doesn't say anything, and her expression shows her shock. She obviously did not expect to walk into Castle Control and see him on the screen. "Allura…" he murmurs to himself and Romelle looks at him. There is a myriad of emotions crossing his face and suddenly, she feels bad for needling him. Lance sees the change in him and spins quickly. The same expression is expressed on her face as well...confused, hurt, yet elated to see him.

Keith's heart stops…though it has only been a little more than a week and a half; it has felt like a lifetime. Another surge of wanting washes over him and he yearns to reach out to her, but he stays silent…eyes trained on her every movement.

It's almost as if they are transported to their secret place again, but nothing is said or done. He can almost feel her pain and elation…but he can't respond. He tears his eyes away from her and leaves the control room. No one says a word and they also watch Allura disappear off the screen. They have questions, but no answers are coming forth.

"Well, thanks for the heads-up. We'll contact you later since we need to recall Commander Kogane. We have to gain the approval of the Garrison and have the papers okayed." Coran says.

"Are you sure that you're going to need him? Can't you work with that Keero guy?" Sven asks jokingly…Keith stares daggers at him.

Lance's face flares, "Hell no! I am NOT putting him in control of Black Lion or the force!" Sven smiles…_he never thought Lance could be the stand-up commander that they were looking for out of him…it just took a lot of growing up for him to realize that there was more to life than a good time. _He nudges Romelle, "Never thought I would be this proud of Lance!" he whispers and she giggles. Sven turns back to the screen, "I'll let him know…tell the rest of the guys we'll see them soon, I think we'll accompany Keith when he goes back."

"Think he'll need moral support?" smirks Lance.

"In more ways than one…Pollux out." Sven switches the big screen off and stares at his love. _I know how it must feel for Keith and knowing that Allura must be dying inside doesn't bode for a good situation when he has to go back._

"They really love each other, don't they?" Romelle says softly, gazing out the door. The Norwegian wraps his arms around her and kisses her softly. "It seems so…and they have done more than just tell each other."

She pulls back, "Allura?"

He laughs, "And this shocks you why?" She hits him lightly on the chest and smiles, "I guess I shouldn't have thought her any different. If she is as much in love with Keith as I am with you…it is a foregone conclusion!" Sven hugs her close and kisses her again. "You both have the ability to turn a man inside out! I need to talk to him again…I'll see you later."

"You better…" Romelle whispers seductively and walks out the room. Sven smiles, _Minx…_

_

* * *

_

Keith wanders out to the garden…hoping that he can control his urges more than he has been able to up until now. It was a lot easier to not think about her when he hasn't seen her, but that's gone now. _She's still beautiful…and desirable…and __mine__! Even after all of this…I can still feel the pain, the hurt…_ He drops down on a bench and places his head in his hands. _Something had told me that I would have to go back and I would have to face her again. Nothing ever told me of how I'm supposed to handle that…staying indifferent is damn near impossible._

He keeps his head down, even when hearing Sven approach him. "You have to get over this, Keith. You're no good to anyone like this and the Voltron force needs you…and she needs you."

"She won't want me anymore…not after what I did to her." Keith looks up to the sky and breathes heavy, "God, Sven…I've never felt like this before."

Sven laughs, siting down beside him, "I fought my feelings for Romelle for years, but when I finally told her how I felt, it was like a weight lifted off my back. I promised her to always be there for her and we have worked through all of our hang-ups together." He turns to Keith, "It doesn't make any sense to keep beating you up over your decision, but I'm sure that if you had waited, Allura would still be safe."

Keith is about to speak, but Sven stops him, "You can protect her and love her at the same time, Keith…it's not an either/or situation. Stop making it harder than it is…and for stars sake, stop hurting Allura and yourself!"

The raven-haired pilot looks at his friend and smiles slowly, "I can't help but think…"

Sven hits him in the jaw and Keith's eyes flame, "Stop thinking so damn much and allow what is between you and Allura to just happen. Take it from someone who knows…you can't win and it's a hell of a lot of fun when you lose!"

"You're right, but the first thing I need to do is get my gear together for this trip back…and hope Allura doesn't try to have my ship blown out Arusian airspace,"hisses Keith and his handsome friend laughs, "I'm sure that she will be more than happy to have your sorry butt back there."

"I hope you're right…but let's get back to the control room, I need to monitor the fleet's movements before I head back there." and they both stand to head back to the control room. Keith does feel a little better and also knows that he has to keep his wits about him…this threat is real and she needs him, even if she may not want him.

But right now…knowing that he needs to return has his heart lighten for the first time in weeks.


	18. Chapter 18

Hello All!

Here is the next installment...long story, ain't it? LMAO (Even thought this chapter is SOOOOOO short!)

I am estatic about all of the wonderful reviews I have been getting, as well as the encouragements...they are SOOOOOOOO appreciated! So, please continue to read and review!

Thanks to all of those involved with my madness...;)

And NO....I DON'T OWN VOLTRON...;(

I now present...

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Planet Arus…_

Allura runs down the hall, trying to stop her heart for racing…_why did he still have to be so handsome?!_ The agitated princess slows down, mentally kicking herself. She has been linked to him…shared deep and meaningful thoughts, she knows his heart and instinctively knows she needs to stop this! Soren has told her that he still needs to talk to her about what is really bothering her, so she heads to his room.

Allura knocks softly, "Please, Princess…come in." She opens the door to find him sitting in a chair looking out over the gardens. The ancient seer continues to speak without looking at her, "You want to know about your captain and how I know so much…" he finally turns and smiles broadly at her, "Please, sit down."

Allura sits quickly, anxiously waiting for what he has to say. Soren stands and moves over to her and sits in front of her, taking her hands. "Princess, I know the depth of feelings you have for Commander Kogane and I will not speak on it with anyone but you. I can tell you that the vision that you both have seen was a warning…warning you that if you go down a certain path, that will be the result. At the moment, Lotor does not know what has happened and it would be better if he never does…but this is not what I want to talk to you about." Allura becomes more anxious, but he pats her hand, "Your captain possesses abilities that he doesn't know he has, and this is why he was able to see the vision. He must understand his part in it and what he must do." The old man stands and walks away from her. "I know you think you can tell him what he needs to know, but he has to discover these things on his own…otherwise he will have a problem believing everything that has happened up until now." Allura looks stricken and he tries to comfort her, "You wanted to hear more specifics, but I cannot give them to you. Know that everything will work out the way it is supposed to."

"But, that tells me nothing…gives me no hope…"

He turns to looks back at her, "What is it you're hoping for the most…your planet's safety or your life with the commander?" At hearing that, she feels ashamed that she has put her love for Keith over her people…

_...but I have given them so much already? Can't I have this little bit for myself?_

_**There comes a time when a ruler must make the choice of their people, and time to choose for themselves…**_

"Is this that time? I am ashamed to say this, but do I have to choose between my people and my very soul?"

He smiles, "Your choice, Princess Allura, was made for you by the lion spirits before you were born because you have exceptional mental abilities, Allura…powers that are lusted after as we speak. Your destiny is at hand, my dear…" And he lowers his head, "I cannot tell you anymore…you need to call the Commander."

"I can't…I couldn't…he hurt…" she stammers and he shushes her. "Do your duty, Princess…you still have to do that and he wouldn't expect any different from you." She nods, "Thank you…" and she stands to leave the room. As she heads to the door, he stops her… "Believe, Princess…you need to believe."

She nods again and walks out to head to her quarters. It would be better if she did this in there…

Getting back to her room, Allura locks the door…she doesn't want anyone to disturb her when she makes this call. Inhaling deeply, she turns on her terminal and starts to contact Pollux. The first one on the screen is Romelle, "Hello, cousin…what can I do for you?"

It takes a minute for her to speak clearly, "Romelle, I have to speak to Keith. Soren believes that he needs to return to Arus." Her cousin's face turns pale, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Soren says that I should…would you please get him for me?"

Romelle nods, "I'll be here if you need to talk after…hold on."

Allura clears her throat and taps her fingers nervously against the table as she waits…then her breathing stops altogether. His gorgeous visage fills the screen and suddenly she forgets what she has to say. Keith stares at the screen, wishing that it wasn't there…that he could reach out and hold her, but he calmly waits and says softly, "You wanted to talk to me, Princess?"

How quickly he has gone from Allura back to Princess…"The seer has advised that you need to return to Arus. There is a viable threat from Lotor as well you know and Keero is not ready to fly Black. You said if we ever needed you, you would come. Well, we need you…"

The Black Lion knight blinks rapidly, a powerful thought coming to him. _How he wishes that she would say that she needs him, and not just for piloting Black. _With the way he had been treating her, he's surprised that she even did this, but she has always been the princess first and looked after her people. She has been able to put what is left of "them" to the backburner.

_Damn…_

"I was going to be on the next shuttle back anyway…Lance had informed me of the situation with Keero. Sven and Romelle are accompanying me, I know you'll enjoy that." He watches her smile and nod, "Wonderful, I'll have rooms prepared for them. So, we should expect you in 12 hours?"

"Yes, have Lance prepare a report for me and have the team ready to meet in the morning first thing. Lion practice will be at 5 am."

She has to admit, that she has missed this and smiles again, "Yes, Commander…I can handle that…" Allura observes his face change as he probably remembers the little suggestive conversation they had that started everything and she blushes. Keith tries hard not to smile, but fails and grins...he won't start that kind of conversation how easy it is to arouse her, he stops…it would open up too many wounds right now, even though the thought of it sends a fiery wave of desire through him. Allura can sense his arousal, especially since hers is as potent and clears her throat to end the communication, "Coran will greet you when you arrive. Arus out," and she quickly shuts off the screen. Releasing the breath that she had been holding the entire time, she gets up from the table and heads to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. Staring at her reflection, Allura pulls herself up and straightens her back. Now more than ever she has to hold it together…show everyone that she can still do this without Keith and without what they feel for each other. She has survived talking to him; she can survive him being in front of her everyday again…

_Who in the hell am I kidding? I need him like the plants need the rain…he has become part of me and I don't know if I can do this…_

_**You can, and you will…believe, Princess…believe.**_

Feeling the seer enter her mind, Allura relaxes. Soren is truly a strong seer and she has never been so happy to have him here. Whatever may come, she has her protection…and her protector is coming back to her.


	19. Chapter 19

We are getting to the crux of the story now!

Again, I thank all of my reviewers and loyal readers...you really make me feel good about what I do.

There will be a lot of action coming up...so hang on for the ride!

As always, I don't own Voltron, the characters, none of the lions, the Castle of Lions, none of that stuff!

I now present...

**Chapter Nineteen**

Keero sits in his room and stares at the picture of Princess Allura that he had taken from a frame in the library. There were so many pictures, one wouldn't matter. _She should be all over me by now! I know I'm better than Commander Kogane! _he thinks to himself. Patience is not a virtue that he has lived by…everything has come to him pretty easy. But she has been as elusive as a phantom around here…he has not even had a chance at practice. It has become an obsession of his to make her his…but first he must make her see that she doesn't need the Commander. _The first part of his plan is to at least have her talk to him, so he makes his way to the dining area…hoping she does what she usually does, come early._ As he makes his way past castle Control, he hears some of the guards speaking,

"Did you hear, Commander Keith is returning?" and young blond guard whispers urgently.

"No! Where did you hear that from?" another guard asks and the first one continues, "Stuart heard part of the conversation between Soren and the Princess…and she seems as if she had to recall the Commander. Something about a threat from Lotor…"

"When _isn't _there a threat form Lotor? What is the big deal now? Don't we have that new commander here? Isn't he supposed to leading the Force now?"

The blond guard laughs, "Not from what I've seen! Lance is in control of the force, and if you ask me he should have been the choice in the first place!" He moves in closer as if to whisper, "If you ask me, that new guy is not Voltron Force material…"

His friend laughs, "What, you thought that they were going to recruit you? They needed a commander…you're barely a lieutenant!"

"So, who wouldn't want to be a member of the Voltron Force? I dream of flying Black Lion…"

"Dream on, pal…"

That was enough for Keero…bad enough that he feels that he has been held back from his true potential, but now even the lowly soldiers on the planet think he's a joke! He continues to stomp to the dining area, fuming.

Once he's there…he sits in a chair, staring out the window overlooking over the monument. There sits his ultimate goal…to be the pilot of the mighty Black Lion, but there are a lot of steps to take before the great beast will fly for him. He can see the connection between the pilots and their lions and he knows now that he can't just insist on being the pilot…even though he has never heard of such a thing. Black is to be his, end of story. But they won't let him anywhere near him…almost as if he has to get the lion's permission. _Bullshit!_ _They just want to hold him for the old Commander!_ He thinks and unfortunately, with what he just heard…it's probably the truth. Now, Keith Kogane is retuning and he will most definitely have a fight on his hands to be the new Voltron commander. The Garrison deemed him the right choice, so they don't really have the choice, do they?

Sighing, he rests his head in his hand until he hears someone enter the room. His plan seems to be working…the Princess has just entered the room. "Good evening, Princess," he stammers, quickly rising out of his seat and bowing. She smiles at him, slightly apprehensive at being alone with him. He moves to stand beside her and smiles broadly, "Is there any news about the upcoming attack?"

"Nothing yet, but they are keeping track of the fleet. We have stepped up security in every area, and have Voltron on standby…so we should be ready when it happens."

He frowns, "How do we have Voltron on standby if I can't fly Black?"

She freezes for a minute, "We had to recall Commander Kogane…"

"WHAT?!" he exclaims and the whole "I want to get to know you" thing flies out the window. He starts to snarl and Allura involuntarily backs away. "Since you don't have the necessary training for Black…we had to call back Captain Kogane…we will still need your expertise on the ground, in case troops are deployed at ground level. Hopefully, it won't get that far!"

"You have NEVER let me do my job! You have constantly kept me from doing what I was sent here to do!" Keero hollers at her. Allura is taken aback, but quickly becomes angry and releases her fury, "How dare you speak to me in such a manner! YOU have not earned the right to fly Black Lion and that is final! These lions choose their pilots and he has not chosen you, so we cannot let you fly him. Black is the very heart of Voltron and the most important part of the lion team. Only a worthy pilot can fly him…"

"Oh, and what makes _him_ so special? Is it that he's a good pilot or because you're in love with him?!"

Allura's face blanches and she's stunned into speechlessness. Keero realizes his mistake too late and tries to rectify the situation, "Princess, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…damn…" But Allura just stands there…not knowing how to come back because it's true.

_But dammit, he doesn't need to know it!_

"Commander Takashi, my personal business is none of your concern and the decision of the Force, as well as Black himself has nothing to do with whatever may be between the Commander and myself. In the future, please remember to refrain from ever saying anything like that to me again." Allura says in a calmly, menacing voice. The young man sees that he will have an even harder time getting the Princess on his side and is quickly losing his patience with the whole situation. _Maybe just taking what I want will be the best method…show them they really don't hold a candle to me_. After the disastrous display, he walks back over to the table and takes his seat, not having anything else to say. He's saved from any further embarrassment by the others coming into the room, laughing and joking as usual. But, all that stops when they see the Princess with a sad look on her face and a scowl across Keero's. Immediately they blame Keero and fire questions at him.

"What did you do to the Princess? Why is she upset?!" demands Hunk, clenching his fists as if to prepare for a fight. Keero obliges by standing, "I didn't do anything! She was already upset when she came in here!"

Hunk moves in closer, but Lance stays him with his hand. "We don't need any of this. I'm sure I can explain the both of them. Keith is being sent back to Arus to command Voltron for the oncoming threat."

Both Hunk and Pidge grin like morons at the news, "Wow, is he really coming back?!"

Lance nods and Allura puts her head down. Hunk and Pidge don't even try to hide their happiness over this and chatter amongst themselves as they take their seats. Allura sits in her spot while Lance takes the seat to her right, usually Keith's. He leans over to her and says softly, "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Eyes filled with unshed tears turn to him and he has the sudden urge to punch both Keith and Keero. She smiles sadly and says, "I'm fine…"

"No, you're not. You haven't been yourself since he left and I don't think that it will change when he comes back. Something happened between the two of you and neither one of you want to come clean, but it's as obvious as the tiara on your head that you both are in pain."

Allura stares at him, needing so desperately to tell him everything that happened between her and Keith, but she can't. _For some reason I can't let what we've done be known, not yet. Those special times are too personal to just let out…_she places her hand on his arm and tries to reassure him. "Yes, I miss him…but he's coming back. Whatever happened will be explained and maybe we can get back to where we were."

"You're sure? You're sure you can do that?"

She nods, but in actuality is not too sure about any of this. Keith will be here early in the morning, and she has to be ready to act like nothing ever happened.

_Nothing…_

She sighs as the servants start to bring out the food to the buffet. _There are worse things to have to worry about than facing the love of your life and act like you are just friends…they did for years before now…should be easy, right?_

Hunk is the first one at the buffet and Pidge laughs, Keero stares at everyone like they are all the enemy. He has been literally embarrassed with the way they have been treating him and Keero will be damned if he's going to have sit here and face his rival. If they are bringing him back here, is he to be reassigned?

"Lieutenant, if Commander Kogane is coming back here, where am I going?" Keero ventures and the whole table stops to look at him. They haven't even thought about what would happen to the young man, but Lance just smiles, "Commander Takashi, your reputation has preceded you and I'm sure there are more outposts in the Denubian Galaxy that will be more than happy to take on such an irascible individual." He leans in to say the rest like he was telling a secret, "I'll even give you a letter of recommendation."

"Don't do me any favors…the Admiral assigned me to this planet to be the new pilot of Black Lion and that's what I'm going to be, Commander Kogane or not!"

Lance's eyes narrow, "What does that mean?"

Keero now gives them his version of a sarcastic smile, "The Commander does not need to be here…you won't let me pilot Black and there is no real threat to the planet. I think all this was done to get the Commander back here and completely disregard the orders from the Garrison. Once the Admiral gets my report, I think that he will see it my way…"

Pidge jumps up out of his chair, "You'll be lying!"

"Really? Have I been behind the controls of Black? Have you even taken me out in him to see if I can handle him? You talk of the lion not wanting me, but it's a MACHINE!!!! It can't want anything!" The pilots stare at him aghast…he never believed, which is why Black would never want him.

"Commander, the whole point of Voltron is the symbiosis of pilot and lion…this is what makes the warrior work so well. If you don't believe in the lions, they will not trust you and no…you _will_ not be able to fly Black." Allura explains.

Keero snarls, "You will _not _keep me from my destiny! I was chosen to take Black and I will! Your precious Commander will not be allowed to stay here and then you'll be sorry!" He stands quickly, almost turning over his chair to leave the room. They all look after him and Lance whistles low, "Is he a few quarts shy of a full tank or am I crazy?" Allura giggles which has Lance looking at her with a silly smile on his face. "Nice to see you smile…now eat!"

She takes a few bites from the food on her plate then gently puts her fork down. "I'm going to my room now. They will be here in a few hours, so I need to rest."

"They?" asks Hunk, devouring a piece of Arusian fowl. She smiles again, "Sven and Romelle are coming with him."

"Wow…the whole gang, together again. We need to have a party!" suggests Pidge and Lance laughs, "You're ready for a party at anytime, aren't you?"

"Best time to keep Hunk fed!" and he gets cuffed by the big guy. Allura laughs and heads out. The guys watch her leave and begin to talk amongst themselves. "It'll be great having the Cap back! I still want to know why he left in the first place…" Hunk says as he leans back in his chair. Lance stands and puts his now empty plate on the buffet table to be cleared away. "I don't know, but I'll tell you this much…he's gonna have to come clean when he gets back here!"

He starts to head to the door when he turns to them, "We better turn in early…you know Captain Fearless will want an early lion practice." The other two jump out of their chairs and run for their quarters.

* * *

Allura heads into her room then lies on her bed. _He's coming back…_ she keeps telling herself. _But what does it mean?_ She can't even begin to think…her heart has been pounding since she found out he had to come back. Her emotions are all in turmoil and she really doesn't know how she's supposed to feel. He's ripped her heart in half, but under all that pain, she still wants him back.

_Now what?_

_**Believe, Princess…it will all be as it should be…**_

She smiles…he's as bad as Coran! Getting back up to change into her night clothes, she pulls on a slinkier nightgown than usual. Now, she wants to feel like he's there with her again…so she climbs back into her bed and dreams of her protector once more…

* * *

Keith stirs…he feels her again and it's a shock to his system. For over a week he has lain in bed every night wishing he could feel her presence again…now that he can, he's afraid. Afraid that after all the horrible things that have been said, they may not find their way back to each other. Or even that she may not want to. He squeezes his eyes tight and wishes for a miracle.

Sven looks to where Keith is sitting and sees that he is sound asleep, knowing that most of the time he was on Pollux, he was either at the sensor monitors or perusing through some ancient text until the wee hours of the morning. He needs this…and more before he has to meet up again with the princess he scorned.

As if reading her love's gaze, Romelle caresses his cheek, "They will make their way back to each other…I know it. I found you, didn't I?"

He gently kisses her then deepens it. "That I did…the ladies in your family are hard to resist, poor guy!" She slaps him on the arm before giggling, "No one told you guys to be so irresistible!"

Sven laughs and kisses her once more…lingering for quite some time.

* * *

The shuttle lands and they are greeted by Coran and the team. Sven and Romelle come off first and Coran greets them warmly. "Welcome back to Arus. I hope the trip wasn't too strenuous."

Romelle smiles, "It was actually very nice…" and casts a sidelong glance at her fiancé. Sven gives her a wolfish grin in return. Then they all turn to the ramp to watch Keith disembark. They can tell that he has had little sleep and seems worn down, but to them, he's still Cap and they rush over and clap him on the back, shaking his hand. "It's good to see you back, Cap! Didn't know what we were going to do without you! That new kid isn't working out…" supplies Pidge and Hunk grabs him in a bear hug. "Yeah, the Force is back together again!" Keith smiles and warms up to the greetings. Then Lance advances, "Took you long enough. You should've never left…and you know that!" Keith's smile disappears, but takes the hand of his friend and shakes it. Keith's eyes ask and Lance answers, "She's in her room, but I wouldn't count on seeing her anytime soon." Keith nods and turns to Coran to shake his hand, "It's good to see you again, Commander. I know that you will want to get all the recent updates…I will have them sent to your room."

"Good, we'll have practice at eight this morning…let you guys try to get some more sleep."

"Now, you have a conscious. See you in a few…"smirks the lieutenant before he turns to head back into the castle. Sven can't help but call after him, "We definitely need to talk…want to hear some more about Katia!" Lance freezes in his tracks, then proceeds to walk on, cursing profusely. They all laugh until Romelle says, "Let me find Allura, she can tell me where our room is." She places a hand on Keith's arm before she walks off. Coran notices the action and groans…this is going to be harder than he originally thought. They all head off for Castle Control to see if anything new has come in over the monitors.

They enter just as an alarm sounds. Rushing over to the main console,Coran says, "The sensors read that someone is in the launch craft area for Black and it's headed out to the monument."

"What?!" Pidge looks at the screen. A solitary figure is being picked up by the chairlift and is being sent to the cockpit of Black Lion. A quiet fury fills Keith when it hits him that Black isn't his anymore. Sighing, he asks Hunk, "Where is Keero? Is it possible that he's trying to take Black out?"

"Wouldn't be smart…we didn't think he was ready to fly him yet, too cocky for his own good. He's only trained in Red." Hunk says, but Pidge hits him on the arm, "But you remember what he hollered at us at dinner…it's possible."

"No…if he doesn't know how to fly him…" Keith starts and he looks at the screen again.

* * *

Keero looks around the cockpit in awe._ So, this is Black Lion…nothing so different from Red Lion_. He takes off the key on the uniform and places it into the control panel. The key turns and locks into place and the lights come on. "So, they think I can't handle this!" he whispers to himself as he lifts the control levers to take off. Black lets out a mighty roar but doesn't move, which infuriates the young commander.

"You are just a machine! We need to take off!" he hollers as Black's interior lights begin to flicker. Keero looks around as different systems in the lions switch on and off like there was a huge power failure happening. He tries to work some levers, but the lion seems to growl menacingly at him...then it shuts off, power completely leaving. "Shit!" he screams and pounds the panel. "They must have sabotaged it, so I couldn't take him out."

Then, Black's screen comes on and the face of the original Black Lion pilot appears. "Fuck…" Keero mumbles and prepares himself for a lecture. "Commander Takashi, will you return to the control room, please?"

Keero thought it would be more, but he hits the retract button on the chair and is sent back down the lift and into the craft. In a few minutes, he is coming back up the chute…pissed. He throws his helmet on the table and stalks to where Keith, Hunk, Pidge, and Coran are standing, waiting for him. With a snarl he stands in front of them, waiting for his reprimand. He stares Keith in the face and finds that his expression is blank…telling him nothing. "Black Lion is to be mine and they won't let me even try out in him, so I figured I'd do it myself." Then he turns accusing eyes to the two pilots next to Keith and says pointedly, "They sabotaged the lion so it can't fly. How am I ever going to be able to command the Voltron force if I can't pilot the main lion?"

Keith folds his arms and says in a deadly quiet voice, "You have to earn the right to fly Black. Even I had to earn the right to fly him and it wasn't given easily. You can't just force a situation that you have been told you have to be proven worthy for." Keero fights to keep his composure, he refuses to believe in anything that these men have told him. "You think you can have your place back on the Force…well, you can't!" The showdown between these two is becoming tangible and the others stand back to see what happens. Keero is only a few years younger than Keith, but with all the action and death that Keith has had to deal with being here, he's so much older in stature. He stares at the young man and calmly deals with the tantrum. "Keero, I was called back here because they needed my help…you have only been here for a short time and you haven't been able to fly Black. As you have found out, Black won't fly for just anyone…and no, he wasn't sabotaged. You have to earn the privilege and you were told that. From what I gather, you haven't been too much of a team player…"

"Because they won't recognize that _I_ am the commander!" he screams, chest heaving.

Keith shakes his head; _I didn't think that someone with his background could be the whining baby that is standing before me._

"You have to earn that respect here. This is a planet that has been under constant attack long since before we got here. You have to be open to everyone and everything around you and it seems that you haven't been."

Keero can't take it anymore and launches a vicious attack, "How can you think you can come back here and think you can call the shots again? The Admiral doesn't know you're here, does he? Well, I've informed him and you should be receiving a reprimand and decommission at any moment. Your precious Princess can't save you now!"

Keith's eyes narrow dangerously, "She has nothing to do with this…"

Keero smells blood and goes in for the kill, "Oh, I know it does! She told me as much…that's why you left, isn't it? Wouldn't the Garrison love to know about your little "relationship" with the Princess of Arus?!" Keith's face stays blank, but a growing fear builds in his gut..._what the hell does he know? _

He calls his bluff, "There has been nothing but friendship and loving respect between the Princess and I. Whatever you tell the Garrison will be a lie."

"Will it? She just as much admitted to me that she loves you, now deny it if you can!" continues Keero, trying to trick the infallible captain into some kind of confession…but fails. Keith has never been the type to be baited and simply smiles at him, "Nice try, kid…it won't work. What I told you is all you need to know because it is all there is. Never try to do that again…"

Keero growls and turns to leave the room, but Keith stops him, "I plan to place a complaint to the Garrison for your behavior…maybe the Admiral was wrong in his choice." At hearing that, Keero blanches and runs out the room.

"Did I tell you how glad I am that you're back?" says Hunk, laughing at the retreating figure. Coran smiles, but remembers the real reason why Keith's here. "Commander, the seer, Soren would like to meet you. His room is in the East Wing across from the Princess." Keith almost chokes, but nicely covers it up. "Does he need to see me now?"

"Time is of the essence…go."

Nodding, Keith leaves them to monitor the deep space sensors. Heading down the hallway in the East Wing, he hears voices coming from Allura's room and smiles. _Seems as if Romelle found her cousin_…and moves to the small room across from her door. He's about to knock when strange voice fills his mind, _**Come in, Commander Kogane…I have been expecting you.**_

Keith opens the door to a small elderly man in flowing robes. His wizened face smiles at him as he motions him to sit down. "So, you are the Voltron commander that everyone speaks about…it's an honor to meet you." Keith smiles shyly and shakes the man hand, but Soren keeps hold of it. He turns his hand over and stares at the ring that Allura gave him. "You have not removed it, I see."

"No." Keith says, puzzled.

"Well, I think it's about time you know what it's for…" he moves to sit down across from him and places his hands together. A small cloud of mist forms around them and a picture appears. In the picture an ancient knight of old, wears the ring while battling some evil forces on the planet. The picture changes and he sees a more up to date knight fighting with the same ring on his hand… the scenes continue to change until he finally sees King Alfor, fighting bravely while wearing the ring. Then the mist goes dark…

Keith is quiet for a minute before asking, "What does that mean?" Soren smiles, "This ring is the symbol of the Lord Knight Protector of Arus. The ring chooses a bearer and endows them with the powers of foresight. Through this, the knight is capable of the limited ability of seeing the future, and only in times of great need. And sometimes, at the cost of his own life." Keith sits back and tries to understand what he's being told, "But I'm not Arusian…"

"Neither is the ring…those knights you have seen are not just from Arus…they are from all over the universe. The ring seeks out the protectors and prepares them for whatever battles they are destined to face. Once the ring has found its new home, it remains until death. It can foretell anything of great importance…"

"But, it didn't save King Alfor." Keith says and Soren nods, "In Alfor's case, he went against following it…he had seen his death and knew that trying to prevent it would not save his world or his child. He made his sacrifice and lost the sight…the ring has sat silent until you." He stands, moving over to a small table to get a glass of water. "Allura didn't know what she was really doing when she gave you that…she just had a sense that it belonged to you and she was right."

Keith looks at the ring and it glimmers slightly. Soren notices, explaining, "When it does that, it's seeing the future…determining what you need to see. And it helps that you are inherently psychic, so that you can receive the visions without any problems." At the mention of vision, Keith asks, "What about the visions I've had? One I see Lotor whipping Allura within an inch of her life and I can't help her…the next one…"

"Yes, the one that made you decide to leave the woman you love?" Keith's head shoots up, staring at him, "I told Allura that I wouldn't say anything and I am now making that promise to you. That vision with Queen Ariella was a lie…one sent to you to disband the Force and disable Voltron."

"But she knew things…things that have only been said between the two of us."

"Haggar is a great witch and can probe your mind whenever she wants. She knows about the legends and your involvement, but she has not told Lotor…which is in your advantage, you know what would happen if he knew…that first vision."

The handsome Black Lion knight bows his head, "Yes, I know…and why I know the second vision has to be true as well…"

"Why? Until a couple of weeks ago you never knew any of this existed…why can't that vision be untrue?" He has Keith there, and the young man doesn't have an answer to that question. "My vision came to me from Queen Ariella…"

_Oh no, she's getting better…_ "Keith, it wasn't the Queen…and I'm sure she told you what you needed to know to convince you that she was the real."

"She was…and I did the worst thing I could ever do because she told me I had to save Allura." Keith starts to whisper and Soren feels the anguish in his mind. "You told Allura you couldn't be together anymore and it shattered both of you." The slight shaking of Keith's shoulders confirms his suspicion. Soren sits in front of him, making him look at him…stern eyes staring into desolate ones. "You may very well have done the same thing Alfor did when he lost his life."

Keith looks at him shocked, "What do you mean? I am doing this for her!"

Soren shakes his head, "No, you are doing this because you fear that you can't save her if you do otherwise. The first vision was your affirmation for what you were told, but actually it was shown to you as a warning for the very thing you did."

"Oh, God…I ripped her apart for nothing? I let go of my heart for a lie, is this what you're telling me?!" Keith questions in a loud voice that quivers with emotion. Soren places a hand on the captain and allows some soothing thoughts flow from him into Keith. Keith's hands grip the chair until his hands turn white…his eyes threatening tears._ He has wished for a miracle, and now he has it…but how can he explain to Allura he was wrong…Mister "Never Makes A Mistake"?_

Soren senses his turmoil, "I have told her, so I will tell you…everything will work to the proper conclusions." And he receives back the same response he got from Allura, "That tells me nothing!"

"You are a two of a kind! Believe, Commander…just believe."

Keith stands and prepares to leave the room, but stops when a question is asked of him, "Do you love her that much that you would let her go if her life depended on it?"

Lowering his head, Keith answers in a low, husky voice, "In a heartbeat…I would rather live the rest of my miserable life without her than to know I could have prevented any harm to come to her and didn't do it."

"Then you must tell her…"

His body stiffens, "I doubt she will want to talk to me. I hurt her pretty bad by not telling her what was going on. I knew if I did, she would fight me and I couldn't risk Lotor finding out about us. I was _not_ going to let that first vision happen…"

"It may anyway…Haggar doesn't know yet that you are back and she is the enemy to worry about. She's the one spearheading this attack, for nothing more than Allura's mental power. This we must prevent at all costs…if Haggar gets that power, the Doom Empire will be in as much trouble as Arus and the rest of the galaxy. She will unleash powers that are unsurpassed even by myself…she must not get them." Soren stares at him hard with his next statement, "Even if it means to lose the Princess to stop it…"

Keith turns around, "What?! What do you mean lose her?"

Soren sighs, "I couldn't tell her, but if Haggar is able to capture her and we cannot get to her before she draws out her power, the only way to prevent the transfer is for her to die."

The Black Lion pilot freezes, "No…no, there has to be another way…"

"There isn't…we must be prepared. Go now, you need to speak to her…"

Keith is stunned into silence, but walks out the door…leaning his back against it while trying to quell the fear rising in him. _The one thing that I want more than anything ever since I left is to be able to explain myself, have her forgive me and let me show her how much I have missed her_.

But first things, first….


	20. Chapter 20

Hello All!

The previous chapter had been cut into two parts because, like a moron, I gave it to my over-worked and underpaid editors to be seventeen pages long! (Okay, they get NO pay...but you get my drift!) Anyway, the action is building...Keero is an asshole...and Keith might never get back Allura, even though she still loves him.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave!

But, as with all my chapters....I don't own Voltron...wish I did, then I could do _whatever_ I want with Commander Kogane! (I know, a sick woman's wishful thinking)

I now present...

**Chapter Twenty**

Romelle is sitting on Allura's bed, listening to the whirlwind events that led her cousin to admit to what she has known Allura has always felt for Keith. Allura has been very forthcoming with the romantic interludes, but has been vague with how far they have gone.

Arching an eyebrow, Romelle states, "Allura, I'm happy for you…but I know that you did more than just kiss him and declare your love for him." Allura turns a bright red and stammers, "What do you mean?"

Romelle smiles, "My dear cousin…it's all over your face if anyone cared to pay attention. You two have made love, haven't you?"

Allura stands then moves over to the window, "It is why his leaving hurt so much. He held me as if nothing could tear us apart, then he just walked away. Being with him is like taking a look into my own soul…it's that profound." She turns back around and Romelle sees tears falling, "Not being able to touch him…not just physically but mentally is killing me…"

She stops at the knock on the door…but doesn't move to answer it. She can sense who it is and moves further into the room. Romelle observes this and goes to answer the door for her. There stands Keith…looking lost and alone. She smiles gently, "I'll leave you two alone." Allura is about to protest, but she stops when she sees Keith enter the room and Romelle leave. They stand there, staring at each other saying nothing. For a brief moment, he wants to lower his block and let her in, but in his misunderstood fear…he backs down.

"I have just spoken to Soren and he explained that vision we had." He waits for some kind of response, but all he gets is, "What did he say?"

"It was a warning…for me. There is something that I must or must not do to prevent it from happening." Keith has to grab his pants leg to make sure that he doesn't do something stupid, like try to touch her. Allura folds her arms for the same reason, "Is that all he told you?"

"No, he said that we have to look out for Haggar. She's the one after you…for your mental powers." She actually looks as if she's interested now, "Nothing of Lotor?"

"No, but I wouldn't count him out of this. I moved practice to eight so that we can get enough sleep. Keero will no longer be a part of the team." He notices her sigh of relief and makes it a point to ask about it later. Allura moves to sit down, but still far across the room, "What did he do? I heard the alarms..."

"He tried to take Black out and Black wouldn't let him. Then, he wanted to threaten us with a reprimand from Galaxy Garrison…something about knowing what was going on between us."

He had to start the subject somehow…_I can't just come out and ask; "By the way, do you still love and want me?" _

He waits breathlessly for her response.

Allura is reminded of the accusations Keero made in the dining area before the others came in and how there was no way for her to come back. "I never told him anything about us… he was reaching. For him to come at you about it, he was trying the same thing."

"I know…but I found myself struggling to answer the question…"

He moves in closer to her and sees her grip her chair then stand. Allura moves further away until she is blocked by the wall. With nowhere to go, she stares at him…but she's not afraid. She knows he would never physically hurt her…

Keith stalks her, moving with that familiar grace of a panther. Some animalistic urge overwhelms him and he can't help but advance on her. His body is screaming for her…his manhood has hardened to a point of excruciating need. It's been close to two weeks and he can remember how they both were clamoring for each other after a few days. Once he has her cornered, he places a hand at each side of her head and leans in. His body is mere inches away from hers and she can feel his heat…the lions know that it is taking everything in her not to reach out to him. Reason knocks him in the head, reminding him that he had left her…and what happens now is purely up to her. He holds back, resting his forehead on hers…needing this little bit of contact. They can feel their breath on each other and their combined breathing intensifies. "Allura…" he rasps out while he continues to hold himself back from taking this any further. Allura holds her breath, waiting to see what he's going to do…knowing that he's waiting for a signal from her, forgiving him for what he did. And a huge part of her wants to…but that hurt needs retribution. She pulls herself up and stares him in his incredibly expressive eyes. Reaching deep down in the recesses of her soul, she gathers the strength to say, "What are you waiting for…my permission?"

He backs up, feeling a spark of intense anger flowing to him. He should have known… Allura sees him pull back and she pushes against him. Her anger growing, she launches into another verbal attack to rival the last one they had, "What did you think…you were going to come in here and I would fall all over you again? You still haven't told me ANYTHING of why you left and made me feel like what we shared was nothing! GET OUT!!!!"

"I want to tell you…I need to tell you…" he stammers and she screams again, "GET THE HELL OUT!!!!!"

His heart caving in on itself, Keith backs out the room. The avenging Valkyrie is back and she won't let him explain himself. He had hurt her too deeply…and left it that way for far too long. Dejected, he heads to his room and begins to unpack his bag. The small package with his secret flower falls to the floor and he picks it up…placing back into the drawer in the nightstand. _This will probably be all that I will ever have from my beautiful princess_ …and that very thought strikes the very core of him. He lies on the bed and tries to rest…it's time to concentrate on the threat ahead and not what mistakes he made in the past…mistakes he is still wishing that he can have a chance to resolve.

Eight o'clock comes awful quick and the Commander again has had no rest. He rises and takes a quick shower, dressing quickly to head to the control room. The other team members are there, waiting with grins on their faces. "Well, we beat the Commander here…you have been away too long!" says Lance sarcastically.

"Shut up, McClain…now, where is Keero?"

"Don't know…do we really have to have him here?" asks Pidge and Keith nods, "Even if I have taken the position of Commander, he is still part of the Force until the Admiral changes the orders. And he is supposed to be here…"

"So am I…I suspect. Good morning, gentlemen." Keith turns quickly at the voice and watches the Princess jog up behind them in her uniform. "Hey, Princess…good to see you out of your room…" starts Hunk and he's hit in the stomach by both Lance and Pidge. Hunk grunts and rubs his stomach…_guess I wasn't supposed to let Keith know about her self-imposed confinement_. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the lions…" she says happily, but she purposefully avoids Keith. Lance sees the hurt in his eyes and puts a hand on his shoulder, "Doomites first, then we'll handle the rest…it'll all work out."

"You sound like Soren…let's go." And the two friends head down their respective chutes. Keith feels at home in his launchcraft heading to his lion. Once the chairlift places him in the cockpit, he calls out, "Insert keys!" and places his key in the panel. Black fires up and lets out a joyful roar. "Good to be back, buddy…sorry I was an idiot, I won't do it again." He can almost swear that Black purrs before he launches into the air. He smiles as he sends Black into a steep diving twist and Black growls again. "At least you forgive me…think you can talk to Blue and convince her to persuade Allura to at least talk to me?"

The lion rumbles and Keith smiles, "I take that as a no?"

He maneuvers Black into position and the others signal their readiness…but then a blast hits near them, destroying a nearby tree-line.

"What the hell was that?" Lance asks and looks at his scanners.

"Doom fighters, twelve o'clock!" calls Pidge and they move out of their formation to engage. Keith calls Castle Control, "Coran, what are we looking at?"

"There are two full squadrons of fighters and three cruisers entering the airspace. They are engaging blasters!" calls Coran.

"Okay, team…fire up missile bays and engage the fighters! Each lion takes a quadrant and keep the ground damage to a minimum."

"Right!" is the collective response and the lions fly off to their respective targets. Black stays close to Blue, while Red, Yellow, and Green head back toward the castle. Coran watches the ensuing battle and calls out commands to the rest of the castle guards. "Man turrets on each tower and await my signal. Sensor control…let me know when those cruisers do anything!"

"Yes, sir." Replies the soldiers before they run off to their new stations. With all the hustle and bustle going on, Coran doesn't notice Keero moving his way down West Wing. His mission now is to find something on any of the members of the Voltron Force…anything that can give him some kind of leverage over them. Still seething from the putdown by Keith, he almost runs into a beautiful woman exiting her room.

"Excuse me…" and he freezes. "What the fuck…Katia?"

Katia almost screams, being startled by a stranger, but she looks at his face and truly becomes afraid. "Keero? What….how….?"

"I could ask you the same. You were in Lotor's harem the last time I saw you," he supplies with a sardonic smile. She frowns and returns, "And the last time I saw you…you were training for the Doom security detail…what happened, not Drule enough for them?"

He grabs her and pins her to the wall, "Actually, I was a part of an escape plan that succeeded. I made my way to Earth and they felt that with my intelligence and skills, I would be a perfect shoe-in for the Academy…now, here I am."

Her face contorts into one of disgust, "That means…you're the new Commander?"

He smiles evilly, "That's right…and to earn my rightful spot, I have to eliminate some obstacles…you now being one of them." Keero tries to move her, but she starts to fight…trying to scream. He hits her across the face and she slumps in his arms. Presing the button to open her room door, he takes her back in. Throwing her on the bed, he looks around the room for something to use as restraints. Taking the belts from some robes on the door, he ties her hands and feet…looking now for a gag. Finding a scarf, Keero ties it around her mouth cruelly. He slings her back over his shoulder and takes her back out into the hallway, making sure that no one can see him take her back to his room. _This is not what I need right now…now I have to think of some way to get rid of her discreetly and still keep my commission…_ He reaches his room and upon opening the door, he throws her on his bed, tying her to the headboard. He then looks around the room to figure out a way to keep people out…she can't be found anytime soon or his career is over. Rummaging through his desk, he puts together the makings of a crude incendiary bomb...having placed those items in there a few days ago, just in case. As the scared woman watches, he quickly creates a booby trap that will go off if anyone tries to open his door. "Sorry it has to be this way, but with you knowing who I am, it will jeopardize what I want to accomplish here…but it looks like I have pretty much did that myself, didn't I?" Laughing a little maniacally, Keero sets the bomb and walks out the door. Satisfied that she can't get free, he heads back out to try to find the records room.

* * *

The lions are fighting hard, knocking out wave after wave of fighters. Red takes out four of them twelve tikets away from the castle, while Green and Yellow accelerate to the upper stratosphere. Keith watches Blue Lion duck and dodge fighters tight on her tail.

"Allura, drop fifteen degrees to your starboard and fire thrusters…I'll take them."

'Copy…" and Blue takes a steep dive and cuts sharply to the left. Black takes aim and fires photon missiles, destroying the bogeys.

* * *

On Lotor's battle cruiser, the Doomian prince stares out over the battle field and watches as his fighters fall to the deadly aim of the five lions. "Send Squadron Theta and flank them on the left. Remember to only damage the Blue Lion…we need the Princess alive!"

"Orders are clear, sire…Launch Squadron Theta!"

Thirty more fighters disembark from the main cruiser and head toward the lions. Keith calls out to the team, "We have more company coming…we have to lead them away from the castle. Coran, arm the tower turrets with ion cannons and aim at the cruisers…if we can get them to move back, we can get the fighters to follow us out to safer ground."

"I read you, Commander…All guns, aim at the cruisers with the ion cannons…full spray!"

The castle comes alive again with blue lazon fire, hitting the cruisers head on. Lotor screams at the navigators, "Power to shields…fire lazon blasters and arm neutron missiles, fire at the Castle of Lions!"

The return volley is as bright and deadly as the barrage from the castle and the lions continue trying to get the fighters to disengage them from castle airspace. Keith dunks under a missile and fires his rotor missiles. "We have to move away from the castle…Lance, are you free?"

"Yeah, just got rid of the last fighter I had on me…heading toward you at two o'clock."

"Good, get a couple of them to follow you out to the Altarian Flats. We'll follow as soon as we can. Now hit your thrusters…"

Red Lion blasts toward a group of fighters coming at them from the south and fires at one, dispatching it. Taking a sharp turn, he heads to the flats and most of the fighters in that group follow. Lotor sees them take off in the other direction and a horrible growl leaves his throat. "I'm going out there…if anyone is going to get Allura, it's going to be me!" and he runs to his fighter.

Allura blasts two of the advancing ships with her water cannon, but takes a hit to the side. "Keith, I'm hit…I'm going to have to take the main thruster offline and link the backup, but I don't know how long that's going to hold."

"You can't risk it…Lotor may launch a robeast at anytime and Blue can't take another hit like that. Hang back and let me know the minute it starts to fail…" Allura hears the slight worry in his voice and the little coat of ice she encased her heart in begins to melt, especially when he finishes what he has to say, "…please, be careful…we need you…" He stops short of telling her that _he_ needs her. _Hopefully, she already knows_… Keith fires Black up and races to the flats with Blue on his trail. Lotor's fighter comes into view and comes in behind Allura. Hunk is flying off to the north side of the castle when he sees the black ship.

"Princess, you have Lotor right behind you and he's preparing to fire!" he screams. Keith hears the warning and wheels Black around to engage, but is too late. A volley of missiles hits Blue in the damaged thruster and a huge explosion rips the right hind quarters of the lion and Blue starts to take a dive. He hears Allura scream over the comm. system and his heart leaps to his throat…

"NO…ALLURA!!!!!!" screams Keith as he helplessly watches Blue lion fall to the ground. Out of sheer fear, he tries to reestablish the link that he has stupidly blocked, _**Allura, my love...please say something! Please answer me! ALLURA!!!**_

But, he hears nothing and it's the scariest thing he has heard since her supposed death. "Lance, take Hunk and Pidge and take out those fighters…Coran, get a rescue party together, Blue is down. I'm going after Lotor…"

Lance can hear the anger in his commander's voice and the best thing he can do is follow his orders. "Come on, guys…we've got fighters to dismantle!"

While the other lions are fighting at the flats, Keith barrels toward Lotor at a dangerous speed. Lotor smirks, "So, the Commander thinks he can take me on, does he? Let's go…."

The sleek fighter streaks toward Black and it becomes a game of chicken. Keith fires his blasters and missiles straight at the ship, his eyes burning from the unshed tears. _I have to end this quick to see if she's okay_...his mind is still trying to reach out to her, but feels nothing. Lotor dodges well, letting out his own barrage of missile fire. The others watch mesmerized as the two titans prepare to clash…hoping that their leader would prevail.

Lotor notices that the lion is not backing off and growls, pulling his ship sharply to the right. "Doom fighters, land and recover the Princess before their troops arrive…and she better not be harmed."

He hears a muffled reply as he heads back to his battle cruiser…

Lance turns Red to Blue lion's crash site and sees ground troops heading in her direction. "Keith….KEITH??!!"

"What is it, Lance?" answers Keith sharply.

"They are going for the Princess!"

Keith looks out the monitor and sees the ground troops advancing on Blue Lion. Swearing profusely, he turns Black and dives toward the troops heading toward his love…

* * *

Allura can hear Keith's frantic voice in her head, but can't respond...her mind hazy and unfocused. Her arm is more than likely sprained and she has multiple cuts and bruises all over her face and body. Smoke is quickly filling the cockpit and she starts to gag. Trying to look for her gas mask, she reaches around her chair to find the kit, but everything has been thrown around. Still trying to get her bearings, Allura realizes that she needs to get out of the captain's chair. Unfastening her harness, she falls to the floor…sparks of electricity flying all around her. "Are you alright, Blue?" she asks absently as she covers her face with one hand and blindly searches for her emergency kit with the other. The smoke is getting thick and it's getting harder and harder to breathe…she's beginning to panic, but that's not what she needs right now. Her lungs are tightening and her coughs are racking her whole body…it makes no sense for her to reach out to Keith since she is now going into a full blown panic and she still hasn't gotten her bearings back. Frantically, Allura swipes around for her kit, but she's losing her sight. The walls of the lion are going dim and everything is unclear…

_Please…save me, my love…_ she thinks as she finally gives up and blacks out.


	21. Chapter 21

Okay....round two...

Another one of my editors found some more errors and pointed them out for me, so I did the changes. And as part of this new update, I would like to express my sorrow for my dear friend and editor, Mertz as she has lost her father. For her to still do this edit just shows me how strong she truly is...

Here's to you, Mertz...love you, dear!

I don't own Voltron...but the blackmail tapes are on the way! ;)

I now present...

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Keith plows through the squadron of fighters sent to prevent him from getting to Blue Lion, but he acts like a man possessed. The quiet rage, fueled by fear is driving him past the point of all reason. All he knows is he has to get to Allura…he can't let this happen to her…

_Oh God, what if Soren was right? What if I am the cause of all this? What if because I left, I killed her…?_

"No…" he murmurs fiercely and feels her faint cry for help, _**save me, my love…** _He doesn't know if she meant to call him, or if it was a last thought, but it's enough to add speed to his mighty lion as he heads to her crash site. He lands Black on the other side of the dense forest…the trees thick enough not to let anything be seen from the air. Blue had landed in a deep crevice at the edge of a clearing, making it so he has to get there by foot. The Voltron commander jumps out the top of Black…blaster in hand, and heads to the gorge where Blue lays with serious damage to its starboard side.

Running, he calls his lieutenant, "Lance, take out as many ground troops as you can to cover me. Hunk, you and Pidge head for the flagship…get Lotor."

"Keith, you can't be down there by yourself…"

"I'm not, you have my back, idiot. Just keep them off me! Kogane out." Keith places the communicator back in its holster and runs as fast as he can to the edge of the gorge…his mind calling out to her, _**Allura, please…I'm coming…hold on…please…oh God, please hold on…**_

Still, no answer, but he moves just in time as a laser blast hits a tree right next to him. He pulls in behind one and returns fire, hitting at least four before more reinforcements come to help. Before long, he's pinned down away from the lion and he starts to get desperate. Grabbing his communicator again, Keith yells, "LANCE…WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU????!!!!!"

A loud explosion hits in the middle of the Doom soldiers and most are flung about in pieces in various directions. Keith sees his way clear and continues to the gorge.

Lotor observes Black Lion landing and foul curses escape from his mouth. He would have been much happier observing back in the cruiser, but he turns the ship around to make sure that he gets away with his treasure. He spies Green and Yellow Lions coming at him, but he doesn't divert.

"Hey Prince Asshole, we just came to say, Hi! Why are you in such a rush?" says Hunk and he launches a spike bomb. Lotor flies over it and continues toward the gorge. Pidge presses a few buttons and Green picks up speed. "You aren't getting away from me…" he says ominously and fires his lion torch. A great blast of green fire blazes out of Green's mouth and burns the afterburners on Lotor's fighter.

"Meddlesome boy!" Lotor screams and launches tail torpedoes that strike Green Lion in his nose. Slightly disoriented, Pidge slow down his pursuit and Lotor is able to shake him…but he has forgotten for the moment about Yellow Lion. Hunk comes in and tries to engage him in an old fashioned dogfight, but the prince wasn't going for it. His ship heads toward the gorge and Hunk follows…

Keith reaches the edge of the chasm and looks down…Blue is horribly damaged and pyres of smoke billow out from its hind section. "Allura!" he calls as he starts down the cliff. He pauses when he sees a group of soldiers landing in a small shuttle, heading towards the fallen lion. He speeds his dissent, hoping that he can beat them there.

Lotor lands closer to the gorge than Keith was able to and jumps out just as Hunk lands Yellow. He runs to the edge and jumps down the cliff face, not noticing the captain on the opposite side. Keith sees the prince and fires at him, barely missing his head. Lotor grimaces as a piece of rock hits him in the face, but he trudges on, desperately trying to reach his prize before his rival.

Keith jumps down the last few feet and breaks into a dead sprint to the ship, firing at the soldiers that are climbing on Blue's head. Deadly fire comes at them and they try to duck for cover, while others fall to the ground, clutching their open stomachs and chests from Keith's razor-sharp aim. "Get the Princess! Do not stop until you do!" hollers Lotor as he finally hits the ground and comes running. Now, there is a duel between Keith and Doom forces for the welfare of the Princess of Arus. Keith can't help but continue to worry about her…she hasn't answered his mental calls and nothing is moving in the cockpit.

_Dammit, Allura….PLEASE!!!!!_ he worries and continues to fire. Blasts from overhead come to help him as Red shows up, along with Green. Hunk finally arrives at the edge of the gap and fires at everything he sees in dark uniforms. Sounds of fierce laser fire fills the air and Lotor hides down behind one of the legs while waiting for his soldiers to retrieve Allura. "Get in there and get her out!" he screams and three soldiers are able to dodge the fire long enough to get into the lion. Keith screams internally and pushes forward, trying to reach her but winds up being pinned down just beside the jaw. He pulls out his comm. unit once more and calls the lions, "Lance, Pidge…I need you to fire at that shuttle…ground it!"

"Read you, Cap!" says the Green Lion pilot and he fires directly at it, but the ship is protected by a shield that repels the blast like an annoying fly. "No good, Keith….the ship is protected…" Pidge reports back and Keith groans. Discharging more blasts, he leaps on Blue's left paw and tries to head toward the opening, but encounters more heavy fire, taking a shot in the arm.

"Damn!" he swears, dropping down to see how bad the wound is…and it is at this point he hears Lotor call out, "You're too late, Commander…I have the prize now and won't she be glad to know that you perished in the foolhardy attempt to save her!" His maniacal laughter fills the air as two of the soldiers lift out the unconscious Princess and hands her to Lotor. Keith's chest constricts as he watches as the Doomites jump down off of the lion and head to the shuttle. The prince can't help but to rub it in, "I wonder how well she can _handle_ a real man?!" And with that, he enters the shuttle and it blasts off. Keith can see nothing but red and continues to fire at the shuttle even after it is far out of sight. The rest of the team finally reaches him and find that he's completely desolate. He leans down into the cockpit as if to make sure that she really isn't there and he drops down…in a deep denial. "She can't be gone…no…" he whispers and Lance comes over to him, "Snap out of it! We can get her back!"

Keith rises to his feet in a split second and grips Lance by the collar, "You don't understand…if we don't get her back before Haggar gets to her, the only way to stop the old witch is to kill Allura! Do you get it…WE WILL HAVE TO KILL HER!!!!!!"

Lance shakes his head, not sure he heard what he did. Hunk's jaw drops, but recovers enough to ask, "What do you mean? Kill her?"

Keith releases Lance and rubs his hand over his face, "Soren said that Haggar is after Allura's mental powers, and if she gets them, not even Zarkon will be able to control her. If she is able to start the process and begins to receive that power, the only way to stop the transfer is to kill Allura…"

Lance freezes, "Are you sure there is no other way? She has to die?" And by the look on Keith's stricken face he understands the truth. He smiles, "Well, what are we waiting for? We have a Princess to save…once again!" The last little bit was to try to liven things up bit, but his friend is too guilt-ridden to pull himself out of it. The Red Lion pilot takes Keith by the arm and leads him away from the empty cockpit. Once they have gotten away from the others, Lance punches him in the arm to get his attention. "Look, I don't know what is behind all of this, but I do know that you need to get your head together so that we can get her back. She didn't bring you back here for you to sulk around because you made a mistake…we need your help, _she _needs your help."

Keith looks at him as if waking from a fog, "I know, let's get back to the Castle to see if anyone has heard anything." Straightening himself out and turning on his comm. unit, he calls Coran, "Lotor got away with the Princess…we need to track where he's going and make it fast…we don't have time."

"Scanning…" he hears, then…"Nothing…it's as if the ship has disappeared. The only thing I'm picking up is the cruisers and they are heading out of Arusian airspace now." The Commander then tells Coran, "Find Soren…he can let us know what is going on and how much time we really have. I'm going to take Black to the cruiser with Hunk…Lance, you take Pidge and get back to the castle to get Soren…we're going to need him when we find Allura."

Lance salutes and runs off to Red. As he passes Pidge, he calls out, "Let's go, small fry…we gotta passenger to pick up before we can get back into the battle." Pidge looks around quickly, then he runs after Lance. Hunk walks over to his captain, "Well, that means that we have a trip to take…"

"Yeah, we're wasting time…time she doesn't have."

Both Keith and Hunk run to their respective lions and take off. Keith pushes Black into overdrive and shoots toward the flagship. Hunk stares after the streaking black machine and guns his turbo, _my gut tells me that if Keith gets his hands on Lotor once more…it's not going to be pretty…_

* * *

Lance lands right outside the castle and heads straight for Castle Control. As he's coming down the hall, he sees Keero sneaking into the records room. Silently, the Red Lion pilot moves over to the doorway and peers around the corner to observing the young man rifling through personnel files on the castle mainframe. Lance decides to wait a few minutes to see exactly what he's looking for, but can't get a good look at the screen…so he slides in and hides behind the nearby bookshelf, giving him a better view of the terminal. Keero does look around to make sure that he's alone…then he turns back to the screen, pulling up the advisor's personal journal entries. Thinking he has found his evidence, he scans through the entries until he comes upon one about Keith and the Princess. Lance sees him stop at one particular entry and figures that now is the best time to make himself known…and before Keero learns too much.

"Those files are private, Commander. What are you doing in them?" Lance asks dangerously and almost falls out laughing at the way Keero reacts to the sudden appearance of another person in this room. The young man starts to sputter and tries to turn of the terminal but Lance moves over in time enough to catch what he's reading. The entry was made shortly after the Summit meeting that they held here on Arus a year ago and described the happenings. He reads…_ Commander Keith has just been brought back on from the edge of the Dailerian forest where he encountered Lotor trying to kidnap Princess Allura…from the preliminary reports the wounds are critical, but what is intriguing to me is the reaction from the Princess. I have always had a feeling that she was experiencing some casual feelings for the Commander, but this incident has more than solidified my beliefs… _Lance stops and skims ahead to the end of the entry, _I have always known that the Captain held strong feelings for the Princess…even though he hasn't spoken them aloud. Something tells me that they are reciprocated…_

He skims through the detailed parts onthe whole situation, on every nuance he could observe about the two of them. Lance smiles briefly, _So, the old guy noticed too…_ . The lieutenant looks back at Keero, who doesn't bat an eye. "These are personal files that have a code to unlock to access…and you have somehow just broken it." He grips Keero up by the collar and whispers menacingly to him, "Since we have something more important to deal with, I'll send you to the brig for the time in being…until KEITH can decide what to do with you!"

Keero can see his career and freedom slowly disappearing, but he suddenly remembers the he has an ace in the hole, "I'll make you a deal…you let me go and I'll let you know where your new _friend_ is…"

Lance's face hardens and the grip gets tighter, "What the hell do you mean?" Keero smiles dangerously, "I have Katia…nice girl, by the way. You let me off the planet and I tell you where she is…" he looks at his watch, "…and if you hurry, you'll have time to get to her before she gets hurt!"

The Red Lion pilot's face blanches and he immediately releases him, "What does she have to do with anything?"

"She was in the way…seen something that she shouldn't have and I couldn't afford for her to alert anyone. Now, if you let me go…I'll be out of your way and off Arus as soon as I can get a fighter ready. When I am safely away, I'll let you know where she is…your call…"

Lance snarls, but he lets Keero go and the commander smiles at him. "Thought so…you guys are a sucker for a pretty face, and in Keith's defense…I don't blame him." He slowly moves out the room, backwards so that he can keep an eye on Lance. "Now, no sudden moves…and no funny business…" then he turns and runs down the hall. The Red Lion pilot growls and runs out the door after him, but runs straight into Pidge.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the young man says and sees the look of total anger and death in his friend's eyes. "Jeez, man…what happened?"

"That sorry son of a bitch, Keero was trying to find out stuff on Keith so he can get him booted off of Arus for good, but I caught him…"

Pidge looks back down the hall and sees that no one is there, "Why did you let him go, then?"

Lance turns to Pidge and bites out, "Because he has Katia somewhere in this castle and I don't know if she's okay. He won't tell me where she is until he's safe off of Arus."

"You just can't let him go…" whispers Pidge and Lance grips him by his collar, "I don't want to, but I have no choice…I can't sacrifice her for the chance to get him. We know where he'll be going and the fighters all have tracking systems that he can't disable…we'll get him." Looking down the hall where the fugitive ran, he decides to make it a little rough of him. He pulls out the communicator and commands, "Guards, Commander Takashi is heading for the fighter bays. Stall him for a while, until you hear from Commander Kogane."

"Any particular reason?"

"Just keep him busy…you'll hear something soon." Lance cuts the transmission and turns back to a confused Pidge. "You have to get Soren to save the Princess right now…she's the important thing right now for you, I don't want to be the one to have to calm down the Cap if we don't get to her in time."

"Aren't you coming?" Pidge asks and Lance shakes his head. "I have to find Katia…I have to find out what the hell he meant…but I'll help you get the seer."

With that said, they rush down the corridor to Soren's room.

Knocking urgently at the door, Lance calls out to the elderly man, "Soren, Soren! We need you…Lotor had taken…"

The door slides open and the wizened seer stands looking at them for a second before finishing Lance's sentence. "Yes, I know that the agents of Doom have taken Princess Allura and they are heading to the flagship as we speak. We have no time to waste…Haggar will be preparing the transfer ceremony in an hour."

"Transfer? What is going on, Soren?" asks the Green Lion pilot.

Lance sighs exasperatedly, "Haggar wants Allura's mental powers and the only way she can get them is through a mind transfer, jeez!" The youngest pilot's face turns white and his hands clench…he has always felt that since he saved her from Lotor's attempt to kidnap her by making it seem like she died, he has always held the sense that he was the Princess's personal protector. To know that she is in a situation that could kill her… "Well, what are we here waiting for…let's go!" Lance smiles and follows behind Pidge and Soren to Castle Control.

They enter the control room and walk right into the center of a minor, chaotic situation. Ever since the prince of Doom attacked, the guards and security teams have been at full alert, with Coran coordinating the show. They spot him at the main console, commanding troops to disperse throughout the forest rim for any stray Doom troops that may be in hiding. "Gamma Team, take coordinates 45-231 on the western edge of the forest while Delta Team take coordinates 27-417 on the eastern edge. Report anything that you find strange…"

"Copy," is the reply and he turns his attention to the main screen at the cleanup of the wreckage of Blue Lion. His face shows worry, but a determination to make sure that everything is in order when the Princess returns…and he's sure that she will.

"Coran, we're taking Soren to the flagship…but then I'm returning. Keero has finally lost it, he has taken Katia and hidden her somewhere in this castle…"

Coran gasps, "Now, why would he do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine…all I know is that she is in danger, but not for the moment. Try to do an interior scan of every room in this place and relay what you find to me in Red. I'll return as soon as I leave Soren there…" Lance lies, not feeling too good about it, but there is no reason for Coran to know about Katia's life on Planet Doom.

Pidge speaks up, "Look, I think we can handle this for now…go try to find Katia. I'll take Soren and we'll radio you if we need you and Big Red." Lance smiles tremulously, "Thanks, buddy…you don't know what this means. You sure?"

"Get going!" calls Pidge as he waves him off. Lance wastes no time and heads back off down the hall, calling back. "Coran, I still need that scan…"

"Right…" Coran finally replies, a little shocked at the pilot's determined stride to find this woman. He looks at Pidge and Soren and the old man says, "Trust in it, old friend. That one needs to do this, as much as the new Lion Knight Protector has to do what he is doing."

"Lion what? I hate being in the dark about things…" grouches Pidge and the seer pats him on the shoulder. "All will be revealed in due time, young one…don't worry. Your place has yet to be determined."

Pidge's face lights up and he returns, "Let's go…Keith and Hunk are waiting for us."

Coran presses the button to pull the cameras over to where the lions are sitting. Pidge grabs onto the old man's sleeve and tells Soren, "We have to hurry…the Princess needs us now!" The old man grabs onto the young man's hand as they run out the doors towards Green Lion.


	22. Chapter 22

The plot thickens..;)

More of the REAL plot is being revealed...so hang on, I promise that it will be worth it!

Thanks to my editors for putting up with all the stuff I have been dumping on them to edit...need a paycheck! LMAO

Anyway....those blackmail tapes have not arived there yet, so I STILL do not own Voltron!

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_On a remote planet…_

Keith and Hunk land their lions behind the great compound erected in the middle of a vast desert on the planet that Keith was observing a few days ago, Dairuden. This would explain why there were unexplained blips on the planet and no distress signals. They must have been here for quite a while to have established such a base. They move stealthily to a side door that leads to the far end of the docking bay. Keith surveys the surroundings and keeps a close watch as Lotor's ship comes into dock. His eyes are trained on the bustle around the ramp as a stretcher is levitated out of the cargo hold and into the bay area. His heart constricts as he sees the unconscious form of his princess being taken to another room on the ship. Hunk looks at his captain and can feel the frustration and fear emanating off of him at not being able to do anything to help her… they all know he has more to lose than the rest of them. He puts his large hand on his friend's shoulder as a sign of comfort. "We'll get her back…and before anything bad happens, I promise."

"I know…I just don't want to think of what that jerk could be doing to her right now…" Strange and disturbing pictures enter Keith's head and he mentally shakes them away. He has to keep his wits about him if this spur-of-the-moment plan is to work, but he has to try to reach her…see if he can get through to her and find out if she is alright, so he sends…

_**Hold on, love…we're here…**_

As they keep a silent vigil on the bay, Keith gets a call over his wristcom and answers, "It's about time, Lance…"

"No, Cap…it's me, Pidge. Lance had to stay behind on Arus, seems that Keero has finally lost his last marbles and kidnapped Katia to get off the planet…"

"What?! What the hell…?"

"Never mind, the story is too long to go into now…I have Soren with me, what do you need me to do?"

The Voltron commander looks around again before saying, "Program theses coordinates into the navigator and land there. When I give the signal, you and Soren enter the fortress from the south side…I'll have Hunk met you there, by then we should know where Allura is being taken to. I'll give further instructions after that." He then types on the small keypad and sends the directions to Green Lion.

"Copy."

The pilot of Black Lion then looks back down on the scene below and freezes. Haggar has come and is looking at their unconscious prisoner and nods, pointing to a particular direction. The guards then start to take the stretcher out of the bay area and down a nearby hall. Keith whispers to himself, "No…"

Hunk starts as he feels his leader begin to move, "Keith… Keith, what are you doing?"

"They're moving her…gotta see where they are going." As he starts to make his way further into the bay area, Hunk flows closely behind him, not liking the situation at all. They make their way don the back steps and into the bay area behind some tall military crates. Keith peeks around the corner and then gestures for Hunk to follow him along the side wall to the doors. They keep a close eye on the soldiers standing at the entrance and stop when they realize that they won't be able to get past them undetected. "What now, Chief?" whispers Hunk as he discreetly pulls his blaster, but Keith puts his hand on his, "No, we have to try to remain unnoticed. We can't alert them to us being here or they'll move up their time table…" Hunk shakes his head, again not liking the chain of events going on. Keith scans around the room to see if he can get an idea of where they went, but nothing.

_Nothing…dammit! _he thinks, shaking his head as he expells a heavy sigh. Keith motions for the big guy to follow him over the left side of the bay,hoping to sneak past the guards at the door.

But, no luck…

"Damn!" he exclaims and he tries to find another way out the bay. Hunk spies a utility door off to the right that seems to exit out into the hallway. "Keith…over there. We can get out that way."

Keith nods, and then looks around to see if they can get there without being seen. Crouching down behind those huge crates, they make their way to the other side and to the door, hoping that the sliding door doesn't alert anyone to them being there. The door slides open and they quickly move through, having successfully avoided being seen. The Black Lion pilot peers down the hall, hoping to see where they might have gone, but there is no sign. Taking a guess, he motions for Hunk to follow him and they move down a dark hallway, barely lit and hard to maneuver in. Voices are heard in a room off to the left, so Keith heads over to see if that is where they have taken Allura. Pressing up against the wall and peeking around the corner, he sees Lotor and a few guards…but no Allura. Silently swearing to himself, he tries to listen in on what they have to say…

"My prince…the Princess has been moved to Haggar's lab and she awaits the right time to start the procedure," says the guard. Lotor nods, "Good…head back and alert me to when she is actually going to attempt this. I cannot let it happen and you will help me…" The guard cringes at the evil sneer that he receives from the Doomian prince, but bows and leaves out the room. Lotor stands there, staring out into the vastness of the desolate planet. As much as he wants Allura, he doesn't want her damaged to the point of being a meek, cowering simpleton. Everything in him is telling him that what Haggar wants will not only destroy his love, but will put him in a position of inferiority…and _that_ he will not stand for!

Keith is piqued…why is Lotor so worried about this 'procedure' that Haggar is about to perform? What will it do? Not listening to the voice of reason screaming at him, he slowly enters the room, blaster drawn, and confronts his archenemy…Hunk is taken by surprise and curses profusely before moving in behind him…_What the hell is he thinking?!_

Keith stands there, ready to blow the man away…but he has to find out what he knows and why he's so against all this. "Lotor…" he drawls in a deadly voice and the prince turns to look at him, surprised. "Commander…I have to admit you are better than I give you credit for. I really must have a talk with my perimeter security…"

"Cut it…where's is Haggar's lab?"

A feral grin spreads on Lotor's face before he answers, "Wouldn't you like to know? She is safe and completely in my care." A white brow rises as he asks, "Did you think you would be able to get her back?" The salacious grin that follows has Keith itching to pull the trigger, but a warped sense of rationale sets in. Breathing deep, the handsome pilot asks, "Why are you so against Haggar? What is this 'procedure'?"

Lotor actually laughs, "And what makes you think that I am against her?" It is becoming clear that the captain heard more than he thought and he tries to keep an aloof air about him…he doesn't need to know everything!

Keith steps forward…his eyes blazing and his mouth set in a ridged line. "As much as I want to pull this trigger and end it all right here…Allura matters more right now…" he starts, then he sighs as he begrudgingly adds, "You may want to possess her, but you don't want her completely damaged or hurt. And as much as we hate each other…we both care about her."

The prince pauses at that statement…never did he want to admit to such a thing, but maybe having these pilots here are a good sign…and a way to shift the blame when the time comes. He controls his raging urge to slice the Voltron commander in half for daring to care for _his _princess…there will be enough time later to get his revenge.

"Alright Explorer…Haggar has found a way to harness the mental powers that exist in my darling Allura…" he smirks a little at the hardened features when he says that. Continuing, "She has a black crystal that is supposed to grant her the power to absorb that energy…but this had to be done before she reached her full potential, so it would be easier to manipulate her." Now the Doomian prince's face falls before he says the next thing, "I have a feeling that whatever this is…Allura will not survive and I will not have that. I have a spy looking out for my interests with the witch and he will alert me when she begins."

Keith just stares, not wanting to show any emotion…but hearing that what Haggar is planning may kill her… "Why would you even think to let her do it? You swear that you love Allura, but you would oyt her in harm's way like this? What in the hell do you have in mind? What sick plan do you have to use Princess Allura like this?"

Hunk is standing to the back, completely amazed that they are speaking civilly when all he wants to do is take the man's head off! But, what they are saying concerns the Princess and he won't jeopardize her for anything, so he just sits and waits for Keith to let him know what to do next.

Put that way, Lotor really doesn't have anything to say…all of his plans are truly selfish. He wants to be able to show his father how dangerous Haggar truly is, lessening her influence in the Doomian court. And to do this, he needs to let Haggar think that he is going to let her finish this. As he stares at his enemy, he realizes that Keith doesn't need to know about all of this…it would give them the ammunition to attack Doom. The two rivals seem to square off…neither saying anything but staring at each other with deadly glares. Lotor takes in the young commander. He has to admit that the pilot is a formidable opponent, but he still can't imagine the Princess would want to have anything to do with a commoner, even one such as him. He could never understand humans…but there wasn't much he wanted to understand. The only thing that he wanted was Allura…the beautiful princess of Arus that invades his dreams every night to the point of unbearable arousal. There will be nothing in this universe that will keep him from his destiny with her…not even the Princess herself…

The Voltron commander has never been one to cow to anyone…let alone Prince Lotor. The Doomian is a hulking beast, with his snow-white hair and yellow reptilian eyes. Somewhere in the universe this combination is attractive, but all he can see is the ugly actions his family has taken to try to conquer Arus and the entire Denubian galaxy. Size was never a factor for the highly trained space explorer, having learned every possible way to bring down a target with his girth. But, it's his skills with a sword that are near unsurpassable…and have given the prince one hell of a run for his money. Grudgingly, he has to admit that he is a worthy adversary as well, but that doesn't mean that he has any respect for him at all. And for the near psychotic obsession for Allura…he would die before he would let one bluish-purple claw touch her. Allura…just thinking about her in Lotor's clutches makes his heart thump a little harder. Even now, knowing that she could be hovering near death while he's standing here debating with the Prince of Doom makes a small moan threaten to escape him. _How in the living hell did I think that leaving her was the best thing? What demon possessed thought made me determine that a breakup was the only way?_ He has been steadily kicking himself in the head for even thinking this way and has made up his mind that he will _never _leaveher again…

Now to get her to listen to him and accept him back…

The Yellow Lion pilot walks overt to his commander and taps him on the shoulder, "Hey, what do we do now? Do we wait here or what?" Keith doesn't break his glare from Lotor, "We have to ask the prince…what do we do now?"

Lotor smiles…this is going to be much more fun than he originally thought! "Haggar's lab is down the hall to the left, but I'm not expected there for a little while…"

"Good…I have someone that can battle Haggar on her terms…this will give me the chance to get him in here. The first thing I need is a clear path to let them in, without alerting Haggar to his presence."

A sneer crosses the prince's lips, "If he is who I think he is, she'll know soon enough…I'll call the guards away from the east entrance. You'll have ten minutes to get him in here before the guards return to post."

Nodding, Keith runs to the doorway, with Hunk behind him. Neither man trusts the other, but for the sake of Allura… Keith looks back over his shoulder at the bane of his existence once more before heading out to the entrance. Lotor watches them leave, wheels turning in his head on how to make this situation turn in his favor…


	23. Chapter 23

Okay...this is a short chapter, but it leads into a much bigger scene...

Thank you all for a wonderful year...for all of the fun, critiques, reviews, critisisms, picking, smart ass remarks, and general comraderie! As this year ends, it opens up into a year that I find much more exciting to approach with all of you as my friends:

Mertz - you are absolutely the best and I truly do value your opinion and thoughts. Here's to more gutter-hopping...we kinda backed off! LMAO

Wade Wells - the best at questioning true meaning to a story. Without you, my stories would probably be BORING!!!!!

CMS - wuv you, puddnums! My fellow Eagles fan!

Harm - You are the most understanding and compassionate person I have had the honor of knowing. Thank you for the constant encouragement...love you!

Mel - The absolute best in art...can't wait for my picture! Will most DEFINITELY be posted EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

Bosski - My lifelong best friend....see, I'm not the only one that's crazy!

And I can't leave out my devil friends...Scythe, Cypher, Lucifer, Diablo, Sultan, and Dokesitsu...without you all of the FUN parts wouldnt be there! ;)

To those reading, since I am posting this right before the holidays...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! (and to those that don't celebrate it...enjoy the break!)

I now present...

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The east entrance opens to a desolate expanse of land with no cover to hide Pidge's Lion. Keith waits for the two Doom soldiers to receive their new orders before he makes the attempt to reach Pidge. Pidge observes the entrance from space with his long range sensors as he waits for Keith's call to him on the communicator. He sighs when he gets the message, "Tap into my signal and land as close as you can without being spotted. Hunk and I are waiting for you...and use the stealth mode on the lion.

"Copy, Chief…but how?"

"I'll explain when you get here, but you have to hurry. We only have a ten minute window to get you in here."

Soon, they see a small cloud of dirt and dust gathering off to the left side of the entrance,watching Green Lion land behind an obscure sand dune. Suddenly, an unexpected sandstorm starts and Keith begins to have trouble spotting the two of them as they make their way over. They both try to peer into the blowing sand to make sure that Pidge and Soren are alright and don't need any help. Hunk calls into his communicator, "Little buddy…just hone in on my signal…it'll lead you to us." A statically response returns, then is quickly cut off. Keith continues to try to look into the dank atmosphere and is about to go to into it when he spots two figures slowly moving towards them. "This way!" he calls and the sand-blasted pair moves a little faster to get to the safety of the compound. Once they reach the doorway, the Voltron leader ushers them to a small alcove off to the right of them. Wiping the bits of sand and dirt off of them, Pidge and Soren stare at their surroundings. "How did you guys get in here and not get caught?"

Hunk smirked, "We had some help…if you can call it that."

"Quiet! We have to move…there's a room down the hall where we can figure out what the next step is. We should be relatively safe in there." The two new members of this group stare blankly at him as he looks out into the hall to make sure the coast is clear. Pidge turns to Hunk, "What is going on?"

The big guy shakes his head, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you…you have to see it for yourself…" The young pilot stays silent and follows behind the seer down the hall to another room. Keith enters and stands back to let the others in and Pidge's face nearly falls off…there in front of him is the dreaded Prince of Doom and Keith hasn't yet pulled a blaster. His eyes shoot to Hunk and he just shakes his head, as baffled by this as he is. Soren looks at Lotor and the prince's expression changes. "You never said that you were bringing a seer!" Lotor's eyes flash and he bares his fangs. This completely throws everything out of the carefully laid plan that he has come up with! _How will I be able to keep Allura now?_

He sees the old man quirk an eyebrow and he immediately shuts down...he knows full well that the seer can read his thoughts even though he may not be able to speak back to him in that way. _Damn_…it's going to be damn near impossible to keep his ideas a secret now, but he has learned a few tricks from Haggar and he can block for a short period of time. This means he has to keep aware of the old man…to know when to use it and when to let them think he's with them all the way on this. Keith smirks at the range of emotions crossing the prince's face and has to hold himself back from falling out laughing. He didn't even realize that Lotor would know who Soren was, or rather _what_, but it's a good thing to know that he will be more reluctant to try anything against them.

Soren continues to stare at the young prince and a slow smile crosses his lips. He can remember when Zarkon's forces attacked the castle and killed most of the people he knew and loved. He can fully recollect when brave King Alfor died and why he gave his life for his people and family. _This prince has known some suffering, but has delivered much more than he has experienced, and by this day's end…he will know what suffering is._ His aged eyes turn to the Black Lion pilot and soften. _This young man has given his life and service to the preservation of the Planet Arus and it's young monarch…and from what I know, his heart._ The young man he's thinking about stands stoically, watching over the people he feels responsible for, but the seer knows his mind and heart are with the missing princess. Soren had told the captain that he had made a huge mistake in thinking that staying away from her would keep her safe…and he knew that Haggar would eventually try to play that card again to get him to back off. It will be Keith's test…will he be able to go against what he knows and go with what he feels? Soren shakes his head, _for this mission to be a success, he has to._

_But, he doesn't know it yet…_

Sighing, Soren puts a warm hand on the arm of the commander and says softly, "Don't worry about him…he'll not pull anything while I'm here…" Keith looks at him in surprise, but then relaxes as he remembers that Soren can pick up on his thoughts. The seer continues, "I know it took everything in you not to kill him on sight, but right now we can't afford to rush in to grab her. Lotor has his own agenda that is working for us at the moment, so we should take advantage."

"He deserves to die…" Keith says ominously as his gaze hardens at the Doomian prince. Lotor catches his stare and smirks back at him.

Soren grabs his arm as he feels the captain flinch… looking out into the dark sky. He says, "The time is now…Haggar will be preparing the ceremony and we must hurry." Keith's eyes pull back to the seer and widen before turning back to Lotor, "I thought you said you would tell us when she was going to start…damn!" Lotor sneers, "She hasn't begun yet…the old fool doesn't know what he's talking about! My spy will let me know…"

* * *

_In Haggar's lab…_

The old witch hums as she bustles about, placing candles and other strange trinkets around a table that was made for sacrifices. She hasn't done any in quite some time, but this one will be the most beneficial for the plans she has laid out for herself. She looks toward the door and calls to the lowly guard that is standing there, "You…I need you here!" The soldier comes over and bows slightlyas he awaits for her orders."I need you take a message to be transmitted to King Zarkon." She moves over to another small table and writes out a short missive and hands it to the guard. Nodding, he turns to leave. She smiles…she has known from the start that he was a spy for the prince and has been giving him information to drag the prince along. _This is too important to have that simpleton try to stop me…soon they will all be bowing to me and the very idea amuses me_. She looks at the crystal that is humming softly and glowing a bright pink…soon all of the Princess's powers will be hers and no one will be able to stop her. She has kept some crucial information from the prince…but after she has succeeded it won't matter; he won't be able to do anything about it. Allura will stay in a suspended animation for the rest of her normal life…essentially, her mind will be gone and all functions will slow down. It will almost be as if she died…and Haggar knew that Lotor would never agree to any of that. His damnable lust and obsession for Allura has caused more than one brilliant plan to fail, but there is nothing she can do about how he feels…she can do something about what happens after. He will be devastated, but more willing to just take Arus without worrying about that silly princess. She looks over to a figure lying still on a covered stretcher and an evil grin flashes on her face. _Finally, I will have gotten rid of the last remnant of the House of Raimon, as well as possess the power of Queen Ariella. Voltron will be mine to control and Zarkon will rue the day that he had ever doubted my powers._

"Soon, my pretty…soon…"


	24. Chapter 24

I almost forgot this one...:)

Got a little confused with the chapter order and almost left this out...this is for those that wanted to know what happened with Lance on Arus...

Here you go!

As with ALL my work...I don't own Voltron, but am still waiting for the results of the blackmail tapes! LMAO

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_On Planet Arus…_

Lance tears down the hall to the rooms Katia is using and immediately keys in the code. The door slides open and the tell-tale signs of a struggle appear to him. "Damn him…" he murmurs as Lance looks around to see if he can find any trace of where she might be. His comm. unit buzzes and he answers, "McClain…"

"Sir, Commander Keero is starting pre-flight exercises…what do you want us to do?"

"Stall him! Give me a little more time…do _not _let that bastard leave!" Lance tears out the room. Racing down the hall, his mind races as to where else could he hide her…

* * *

Katia slowly comes to…realizing that she is no longer in her room. She tries to move, but her arms are tied to the bed. The frightened woman screams, but she knows that the walls in these rooms are soundproof…the only way to communicate to the outside is through the speaker by the door. Trying to see if she can free herself, Katia tries to loosen her bonds, but she has to remember that Keero is trained for stuff like this and he would make sure that she couldn't possibly get out. Looking around the room, she sees the makeshift bomb set by the door and her eyes widen as she follows the line attached to it to the sliding handle on the door. _He is making sure that she never gets out of here and that no one gets in. _A few tears of frustration fall down her face as she sees that her situation is near hopeless. _Lance…please help me…_

_

* * *

_

Lance checks back in with Coran, "Have you picked up on anything yet?" There is a short silence before, "There is an unknown heat signature in the West Wing…"

"Where?"

"Commander Takashi's room…but…" Lance cuts him off as he runs to Keero's room. As he approaches the pilot's room, something tells him to slow down. As he slowly approaches the door, Lance peers at it closely, not sure what he should be looking for. He moves in closer and takes in every edge to the door…spotting a small wire attached to the handle. _Damn…_ he thinks as he moves in even closer to see if there is any more he had to look for. From what he can make of it, Lance can't just detach it and open the door. "This guy is good…" he murmurs to himself as he tries to figure out how to approach this. His heart racing, he remembers that Katia is right behind the door and that any false move will cause the bomb to explode. Taking a deep breath, he takes a pocket laser and calls Coran, "Castle Control…this is Lance, come in…"

"We're here, Lance…have you found where he has hidden her yet?"

"Yes, in his own quarters… but he has booby trapped the door with what looks like an incendiary bomb and I need your help to try to diffuse it."

"What can we do?"

Lance sighs as he tries to think of a way…then, "Each room is equipped with temporary blast shield, just in case of invasion…"

"Yes…"

"Can you project that shield around the door when I give you the sign? I don't want to diffuse this and there be another trigger…Katia can't tell me from the inside and the blast would kill her if I do the wrong thing."

There is a slight pause, "We can reconfigure the shield but only for a few minutes."

"Good, I'll let you know when I'm ready…stand by."

* * *

The imprisoned woman struggles futilely against the restraints she has been put in. _There has to be some way to get to the intercom at the door to try to get some help…_but as she continues to fight, she feels that someone is outside the door…_Lance?_

Katia stays still…hoping to hear some kind of sound to let her know that there is a person outside the door. She concentrates hard to hear something, anything. Then, a small bump is heard and she relaxes a bit. Someone is out there, but the bomb…she stiffens as she realizes that if they mess with the door handle, they will both be gone. Renewing her struggles, Katia pulls her hardest to free herself from the ropes and give whomever it is some kind of help…

_Please…Gods…please help us…_

_

* * *

_

Lance's brow is covered in a fine sweat as he delicately uses a small pocket laser to slowly and gently cut around the handle without touching the wire as of yet. He needs the handle to be out the way so that he can have the shield applied and cut the wire. If he knows Keero, he made it a delay trigger to make sure that he has more than enough time to get away…but time is against him…he only has a few more minutes before the pre-flight sequence is finished and Keero gets away. However, now is not the time to rush…so he slows down and continues the cutting…

* * *

Katia sees the sparks from the laser and freezes…the beam comes awful close to the wire that could set the bomb off, but luckily whomever is using it is very skilled at this…_thank the Goddess_. Her eyes follow the beam as it skillfully removes the handle from the rest of the door…soon, she can see who her rescuer is…even though she already knows…

Lance finally makes the last cut and as he does, he calls Coran, "I'm ready…set the shield on my mark…"

"We're ready here, Lieutenant…but remember you only have five minutes before the shield wears off."

Groaning, he replies, "Thanks for the heads up…now, on my mark…three, two, one…mark!"

A bright glowing field surrounds the door and Lance cuts the wire, placing the handle on the floor. He stands and gently opens the door to finds Katia bound and gagged to the bed. "Kita..." he whispers as he rushes over and cuts the restraints with his laser. "We have to move…the shield only has power for a few minutes." Nodding, she quickly helps him take the bonds off and removes the gag. Able to take a normal breath, she smiles gratefully at him, then launches herself into his arms…sobbing hysterically. He takes a minute to calm her…stroking her hair and whispering urgently, "It's okay now, but we don't have much time…" in her ear as there isn't time for anything else…

"Katia, we have to move and we have to move now!" She nods and they head to the door…just as the shield is wavering out. Lance spots the bomb itself and sees that a back-up does exist.

"RUN!!!" Lance screams and he pulls her out of the room and into the hall. They get about twenty feet away when a loud explosion goes off and splintered furniture as well as other charred objects come flying out the room. Lance dives on top of Katia to shield her from the blast…covering her head and face. The large blast of flame singes his back, but the fire retardant system immediately douses the flames and sounds the alarm. The Red Lion pilot looks around and gently removes himself from her, gently pulling her back to her feet. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt…"

But he's cut off when Katia presses her lips against his, kissing him feverishly. He surrenders to the sensation and his arms wrap around her…his tongue wending its way into her mouth to play with hers. They get lost for a moment in the kiss, until the castle guards come running down the hall. Lance pulls away from her and tucks her under his arm. He stops one of the guards, "Please make sure that she makes it to Castle Control…I have to handle something…" Katia tries to hold on to him, her eyes wide with fear. Gently, he caresses her face and places a soft kiss to her lips, "You are fine now…I'll never let anything happen to you."

"But Keero…" she stammers, "He was trying to become a Doom soldier…that's how I knew him and why he kidnapped me." She watches a hardened tick pulse in his cheek and she realizes that there is a lot more to this handsome pilot that meets the eye. Lance refocuses on her and gives her a reassuring smile. "The guard will take you to Coran and keep you safe…I need to go."

Katia reluctantly lets him go and watches him tear down the hall to the launching area. She had never seen him so angry and she smiles slyly…_He is so determined to do someone some bodily harm and I had every intention to try to talk him out of it, but my need for revenge is blocking all of my good intentions._ Her smile becomes wicked…_Keero just didn't know who he was messing with…_

* * *

The young commander looks over the fighter one last time before jumping out of the cockpit and going over to the techs at the launch bay doors. "I'm ready for takeoff…you can open the bay doors."

The two guards look uneasily at each other while they try to find a reason to keep him from leaving. One speaks, the one with the blond hair and piercing blue eyes, "Commander, did you make sure to test the on-flight navigation system? We had been having trouble with them in those fighters…you want to make sure that it's functional or navigating will be hell. Let me come over with you to see if everything will be okay…"

"There's no need for that…the Commander's not going anywhere."

Both men turn at the steel-laced voice and stare directly into the eyes of the fuming Red Lion pilot. Keero starts to smile, but realizes his folly when Lance returns it with a distinct sarcastic hint to it. An unsettling feeling hits the young man and his smile fades, "I see you found her…"

"Yes…and she's fine, thank you. She also tells me that you were once striving to be one of Planet Doom's elite, correct?"

A slight shudder passes through him and his mind races to find another way out of this. All of his aspirations are gone now…but he might still have one ace in the hole…

…but he has to get out of here first!

Sizing Lance up, Keero slowly begins to move in a circle, Lance copying every step he takes. The two guards quickly get out of the way…knowing that the Red Lion pilot is famous for his hand to hand combat techniques, only ever bested by the captain. Keero narrows his gaze, measuring when he should attack, but wanting to take his mind off the impending fight, "It surprises me that she told you all about where she met me…did she tell you how?" He notices no response, so Keero tries again, "She was one of Lotor's sex slaves then…just off the slave ship. Lotor really had fun with her, and I'm sure she wasn't _too_ upset at being the concubine of a prince." The circling continues and he's hard pressed to find Lance's weak spot. "Lotor tired of her pretty quick though…and I did hear that some slaves were given to the troops for their pleasures…wonder if she was one of them?"

That did it…Lance's face contorts into a horrible snarl and he lunges after him, taking him off guard for a moment. They both hit the ground and Lance's fist pounds him in the face repeatedly until Keero gets enough leverage to push him off. They stand quickly again and Keero lashes out with a roundhouse kick to Lance's mid-section, that the Red Lion pilot takes pretty well. Keero then swings back around with a flurry of punches and just hits forearms that guard Lance from any frontal attack. The kid continues to wail on him, but to no avail. Lance finally stops the humiliating barrage by grabbing Keero by the collar and kneeing him in the gut a few times. Hearing the breath leave him, he pulls an uppercut and knocks Keero back…a little blood spittle coming out of his mouth. Keero stumbles backward and wipes his mouth…kicking himself for constantly underestimating his opponent. He looks around for any sort of weapon and spies one of the guards paying more attention to the fight instead of his own person… his blaster is unsecured. With a speed that even impresses Lance, he grabs the guard and draws the blaster, holding it to the guard's head. "I am leaving now…or you'll be picking pieces of this fool off the doors. He moves him back to the control panel and blasts the console, causing the door to open and keep the other two at bay.

"Lieutenant, what are we going to do?"

Lance stares daggers at the former commander, "We let him go…dammit!" Keero moves back toward his fighter with the guard as a shield. Once he gets to the cockpit, he forces the guard with him and they both climb in. As the engines fire up, the blasts force Lance and the other guard back into the bay, watching helplessly as the fighter lifts off and speeds out of the hangar. When it hits about a mile up in the air, the guard with Lance looks at the retreating ship and hollers out, "What is he doing?!"

Lance turns just in time to see the hatch open on the side of the fighter and they watch in horror as a figure falls out of the cockpit back to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. A burning rage fills Lance as he calls MedTech on his comm. unit…the other guard allowing a tear to fall. Lance walks out into the shining Arusian daylight and sends up a quick prayer for the innocent guard that got in the middle of this for no reason.

"What was his name?" he asks the guard behind him.

"Callan…Callan Heras from the nearby town of Altea."

Lance nods, "We'll send his family notice and give him full honors. He didn't have to die…and we won't let it be in vain."


	25. Chapter 25

Wow...two in one day! I'm on a roll!

Okay, it's only because I forgot one...:)

In any event...this is my Christmas gift for all of those that love to read my work...please check out my profile for more!

The freaking tapes didn't work...so I don't own Voltron, but another devious plan is forming in this demented brain of mine...;)

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

_On Planet Dairuden…_

Usually, the infallible Captain of the Voltron Force has steel-like nerves and a will to match…but now, he paces the small room like a lion in captivity…yearning to run free and kill whoever gets in his way. It's going against the grain to actually stand here and cooperate with Lotor, but he has no choice. Trying to run out and attack Haggar would endanger Allura even more than she already has been and Lotor would stop them as quickly as they get started. Right now, he needs the Prince…and somehow he knows that Lotor needs them. Allura must not lose her powers…_he must not lose her_…

"There is no need for the pacing. I should be hearing from my spy shortly…" Keith shoots him a sardonic look and continues to pace, but stops when he see Soren standing against the wall in a deep trance. He walks over to him and stares, not daring to say or touch him. Pidge shakes his head, "He started mumbling about needing to find her and stood here…zoning out."

"What did he say?"

Hunk comes into the conversation then, "He said that he needed to find her and protect her…he said that over and over before he went under."

The handsome commander stares into the blank face of the seer and wonders what he's doing…and if it's helping Allura. As every moment passes, the more he regrets being so hasty as to think that they couldn't handle this together. Over the years, he has come to depend on her compassion and understanding to even out his responsibility structured demeanor. _Life in the Garrison for him me has been all about discipline_…even though he had his bouts of craziness being around people like Lance and Jeff, but he had wanted it to be all business when he got to Arus…show them what his team was made of and they did. In the process, he lost his heart to the one person he never knew he could have, let alone want him back in the same way. _The brief times we spent together, getting to know each other, have molded me into a complete man…but only with her_. He places his face in his hand and sighs…the idea that this is all his fault draining what strength he has left.

_**You need to focus, Commander Kogane…this is not your fault. Evil forces are at work here and you're too new at the ability to speak telepathically to understand everything…not even Allura could have known. You need to concentrate all on her, because she's going to need all of your strength to pull through this. I have to get back to my monitoring…but you have to believe…that is the only way this will work.**_

Keith stares at Soren and nods almost imperceptibly. The two Voltron pilots just scratch their heads at the interaction. "One of these days, we're going to find out what just happened." Pidge says.

"Yeah, and I hope it's soon. I don't like being here _helping_ that one over there!" Hunk thumbs over at Lotor, who is completely ignoring the humans behind him. If it weren't for the fact that he needs them for an alibi, he would have killed them all on sight…especially that damn commander! The prince knows that with all of his brawn and bluster, Allura cares for this man and it doesn't seem as if anything will change that…not even if he killed him. Something else has to take that away…but what? A mass of evil plans swirl in his head to try to destroy that bond the Commander and his princess share.

A sudden coughing grabs his attention and he turns to the door. There, a guard is standing…afraid to enter the room. Lotor waves at him, "It's not what you think…come in and make it quick."

The guard hands the prince the note and quickly nods and heads out the room. Lotor reads the note and nods, "Commander, maybe you need to see this…" Keith moves over to him and takes the note. It reads:

_To King Zarkon…communiqué from Haggar_

_King, plans are going as scheduled. Goal will be achieved within the hour…prepare for full attack against Arus…_

_Victory will soon be ours…_

"What does this mean?" asks Keith and Lotor laughs at him, "You poor, pathetic fool! That means that we have less than an hour to get Allura away from the old witch. I have to admit that she is very resourceful."

"We don't have time for admiration…where is her lab?"

"Patience…" begins Lotor, but he's cut off by a loud moan coming from Soren. The old man opens his eyes and looks at everyone as if he's trying to recognize who, what and where he is. Keith can see the clarity come back to him and he hurries over to the commander with a strong look of determination on his face, "Commander Kogane…he's not being truthful about the Princess…the ceremony is happening NOW!"

Lotor sneers, "You have no idea what you are talking about, you old fool…"

Soren turns burning eyes on the prince, "Haggar knew you had sent a spy to her…did you think you could fool her? She sent that message to prevent you from stopping her…she has already begun the casting the spell."

Keith The Voltron commander has to hold back the overwhelming urge to punch Lotor in the mouth and turns to the door to run out, "You fucking, lying worthless…" Keith hisses as he rushes out the door. Lotor stand there shocked momentarily…_how dare that witch try to outthink me?!_. Growling, the Prince of Doom follows, along with the others. They race down the hall to a large door and Lotor proceeds to try to unlock it…

Haggar hears the scratching at the door and smiles…it's not just the lock that holds the door closed and they have no defense against it. She turns back to her unwitting victim and closes her eyes…chanting an ancient spell.….

"_By the dark mists of Telmarda…by the evil sprits of Doom…_

_I call upon all the hellfire demons to take control of uncharted powers buried within this pure vessel…take possession and place the powers within this dark crystal born of the pits of Darzidan for my ultimate use…_

_Salamnda torensa demartamia !"_

Soon, billows of smoke come up from no where and the crystal turns a glowing red. She waves her staff over Allura's head and chants unintelligibly some more. The smoke turns from the usual grey to a pitch black and it seems to overtake the both of them. Allura twitches a little…it seems as if she is finally coming around. _No matter…_she smiles evilly and places the crystal on the princess's chest. Suddenly, Allura can't breathe and her body starts to buck and twitch uncontrollably…then she is still. Haggar's smile turn even more wicked as the crystal begins to glow even more brightly as the power from the princess begins to fill the core.

"Soon…soon no one can stop me…"

* * *

Keith starts to tap his finger on the side of his leg…wanting desperately to push Lotor out the way and blast the door open, but it seems that nothing is working on it. The frustrated prince pounds his fist against the door, screaming, "Haggar! Haggar, you rotted rotten witch…open this door!"

Soren comes over then and pushes the prince back, "You cannot open it…" and he places his hand over the handle. An unearthly buzzing comes out, causing the group to cover their ears. Once it stops the door slides open and they converge on the scene. Keith rushes in first and almost trips over the dead form lying at the door. "There's your spy, Lotor…looks like Soren was right." Lotor snarls, thinking…_Oh well, there goes that idea…now, this would be my perfect chance to eliminate that damn captain…_ and draws his sword, "Now that we are in here and it's obvious that we're too late to stop Haggar, I can finally get rid of you! Allura is MINE!" and he swings at Keith, narrowly missing him. The captain reaches for his sword and they clash, both trying to outman the other. "Dammit Lotor…now is not the time for this!" he calls out as he pushes the prince back so he can head towards the altar holding the unconscious Allura. Hunk and Pidge stare at the immobile princess and the light mist flowing from her and into that crystal.

"We gotta stop her!" calls the Green Lion pilot and he pulls his blaster and fires. The blast would have been dead on, but an invisible field blocks it and it ricochets off into nothing. The witch doesn't even acknowledge that she has intruders…so concentrated on the task at hand. Hunk tries to get a shot in, but veers off like Pidge's.

"What are we going to do?" Hunk asks while the old man comes up from behind and speaks to Haggar. "Haggar, you know who I am and you know what I can do…let the princess go and nothing further needs to be done here…"

An otherworldly voice fills the room…the tone making everyone shiver. "You are too late, Soren…her power is almost mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me!" Lotor walks over, eyes blazing in anger, "You are to leave the Princess intact, old witch!"

A laugh so sinister that it makes Lotor's skin crawl erupts into the stale air. Keith just stares at Allura, wanting to reach out to her…not knowing if it would do any good. "Allura will be intact…but an empty shell. You see, by taking her power, I am stealing her mind and she will have nothing left after the transfer is complete. I knew if I had told you what exactly was going to happen, you would try to stop me. This is more important than you and your pathetic father…soon, you will _all_ bow to me!"

And the cackling begins again...

Keith turns to Soren and asks, "What do we do? We can't let her do this…you said we would have to kill Allura if this is started!"

But as Keith is asking those questions, Soren enters a deep trance and tries to barrel his way into Allura's consciousness.

_The path he is taking is dark and eerie…there is no distinct way of knowing how close or how far he is away from her. There is no sound, no air is moving and the whole place seems deserted…until a small light appears not too far ahead of him. He rushes to it and the closer he gets, the more he realizes that it is a small girl…dressed in pink and her long hair held back in a pink ribbon. Her face is hidden from sight and Soren leans down to speak to her, "Hello, there…are you lost?"_

_The girl looks back up at him and he's shocked at what he sees. The girl has the most beautiful face he has ever seen, but she doesn't have the ocean blue eyes he had expected her to have…instead her eyes are a warm chocolate brown. He is completely taken aback…who is this child? He expected from what had been going on to see Allura or some kind of manifestation of her, but this child…she looks like her, but there is another presence…another person who has a bond to this child as well. If his suspicions are correct…he's definitely going to need more help._

"_I don't know why I'm here, but I'm scared," she says and she starts trembling. Soren wraps his arms around her and rocks her gently. "It's going to be okay…"_

"_But, she's hurting her…you have to help her!" _

"_What is your name, child?" he asks and has to smile when he gets back, "My name is Arielle Jailan."_

_Something doesn't sit right with this, so he asks again, "Your full name?"_

_She sighs and puts her head into his shoulder, "Arielle Jailan Kogane…"_

_Soren is speechless…this is the child of the Princess and the Commander…but what is she doing here? "Arielle, do you know how you got here?"_

_She stares into the darkness, "A bright light came and surrounded me…making me feel safe. It told me that I was needed but wouldn't tell me why or what for. It said that my mommy and daddy need me for a little while…to help them see that everything is going to be okay…that all will be as it should…"_

_He has to wonder if he summoned her spirit here…and was it a spirit that already exists or is yet to come? Not having the time to figure it all out right now, he helps the girl to her feet and tells her, "You are right…your mommy needs help, and your daddy doesn't know how to help her. We have to find out what he needs to do and let him know, alright?_

_The beautiful little girl nods and they head off away from the light and back into the darkness…_

* * *

Keith notices that Allura is moving…ever so slightly, but she's breathing and moving her body a slight bit. He tries to reach her again, _**Princess…I'm here…I won't leave you ever again. Please, Allura…**_

_**Keith?**_

His eyes brighten and he covers up a goofy smile. "What is it, Cap?" asks Pidge and Keith whispers, "Allura, she's still there…barely, but she's still there."

They all look at the princess, then back at Soren and Haggar…wishing that they could help with whatever battle that is being waged right now.

* * *

_Soren and Arielle enter a large room and it is filled with smoke and glittering lights. The little girl grabs on to Soren's arm and says, "It's scary in here."_

"_I'll keep you safe…" but then he feels a call…someone reaching out to the struggling princess. Arielle stops in her tracks moving and listens, "That sounds like my Daddy…he's scared and worried about Mommy…I have to let him know she's okay, that she's only tired." Then the little girl closes her eyes and sends out a mental shield. Soren can now hear Allura answer briefly…and he turns in shock back to the girlArielle and nods, confirming his suspicion...I did summon her…she's Allura's defense… _

_But why in the form of her child? _

_Soren decides that this is not the time right now to explore this quandary, so he asks the girl, "How do you know you can do this?"_

_She smiles proudly, "I always have...Mommy said I was born with it and to never be ashamed to use it!" Soren smiles, sounds like the Princess of Arus to tell her daughter not to be ashamed. Another question burns at him, though… "Does your daddy know?"_

_Arielle looks at him strange, "Of course he does! He's like me and Mommy, but different."_

_Intrigued, Soren presses on, "What do you mean?"_

_Exasperated, Arielle sighs, "Daddy can only do it between the two of us, but when there is danger he can speak to others. I kinda like that he can only speak to us. Oh, and he has visions too…but they seem to bother him sometimes. I don't like seeing Daddy upset…"_

_Soren nods and they keep on towards all those glittering lights…feeling a distinct air of fear and confusion coming from deep within the lights. Arielle suddenly shouts, "It's Mommy!" He looks off in the distance and sees a tall figure standing there, but he can't make out any distinct features. Arielle jumps up and down happily clapping her hands. "Mommy, Mommy!" she yells and she takes off towards the figure. Soren tries to hold her back, but she's like lightening and once she reaches her destination, an even brighter light glows around them. Allura's voice comes to him clearly, "Soren…I am getting tired and I have almost no will left. She is all I have left of my spirit….protect her."_

"_Princess, you have the help you need…you have to reach out a little harder. Arielle can help you reach your source of strength. I can aid you, but to release yourself from Haggar, you need him…"_

"_No…I don't need him…he left me…" she murmurs and the light grows dimmer. Soren now knows what he has to do to save her…he sends…_

_**Keith! Send to me…Allura needs you desperately!**_


	26. Chapter 26

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!

Well, still posting and still working on the next installment....as well as all the other works people have been asking me to finish or continue (Not Voltron)!

Anyway, for those interested, my links are on my profile here...;)

My New Year's resolution is...can't tell you, but it may have to do a kidnap plot, an old warehouse, and the copyrights to any fanfiction I choose! LMAO

As of now, I DON'T OWN VOLTRON!!!!!

I now present...

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Keith suddenly stumbles back, hit with the powerful sending from Soren. Hunk and Pidge looks over to him, worried that the witch is claiming another one of their own. "I'm okay…just get ready." Keith stands still as he returns the summons…

_**Soren, I'm here…what can I do?**_

_He is transported into the same realm with them and is shocked to see the physically battered Allura holding a beautiful little girl. He turns to Soren and asks, "What is going on here? What can I do?" _

_Soren smiles, "You have to get her to believe that you have come back for the right reasons…she's losing her hope, which was the only thing sustaining her. She has transferred what power she could hide from Haggar into her…" and he points to the girl who has yet to show her face._

"_Why? Who is she?"_

_The old seer pushes Keith over to them, "Ask them yourself…then be prepared for the battle of your life." The handsome pilot turns back to the pair and walks over to them. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he speaks, "Allura, I'm here. I promised you that I would always be here."_

_A tear-streaked face gazes back at him, "You left me…and now I have no more fight left in me." He grabs her arms and makes her stare into his eyes, "I was wrong…by the lions, I was so wrong. But I'm here now…I won't leave you again and I'm so sorry that I didn't believe enough in us. I guess I was too afraid of losing you…"_

"…_and you lost me anyway," she murmurs, forcefully pulling away. _

_It's at this point, the little girl looks up. "Daddy!" she cries and takes both of them by surprise with her outburst. Keith stares down into eyes that are undeniably his and tears begin to form. Arielle grabs on to his legs and hugs him tight…he gently pulls her off to pick her up. She smiles brightly, "Daddy! I knew you would come!" and she grabs him around his neck. Keith stares at Allura and sees that she is looking at them stoically, showing no emotion. He turns back to Soren, "This is…my daughter?"_

"_It is a manifestation of what your child would be, yes…whether or not she already exists is a mystery right now." At those words Keith shoots his gaze back at Allura, who quickly lowers her gaze to the floor. _

"_Allura?" he asks as he puts the little girl down. Arielle moves over to Soren and watches the confrontation between her father and, her beautiful mother…_

"_You have to speak to me…we have to get you out of here and the only way I can do that is if you believe me. Please, my princess, I only did what I thought was right…" he breaks off and reaches out to take her hand. She resists at first, but slowly begins to relax as he continues to talk, "I don't understand any of this…didn't know what any of this meant until I spoke to Soren. He explained that I misunderstood what was being shown to me…that the visions were a warning, not a consequence. I didn't need to pull away from you…I acted too foolishly and quickly. The visions seemed so real and I HATED that I couldn't help you…I had to do something." She still seems unmoved, so he pours out his heart. _

"_I felt myself die when I heard your scream that night I left you…my soul completely shattered when you railed at me, saying I was just using you. I would NEVER do that to you; I could never see you in such a way. I have loved you for so long; I don't know how I could even think I could live without you." The raven-haired captain steps closer to her and gently tips her head up to look at him. There is no hint of anything there and he knows they are running out of time. As a last ditch effort, he presses his lips to hers…waiting for a response. As his lips slide on hers, Keith feels her hesitant surrender and decides to deepen it by lightly forcing her mouth open to receive his tongue. A sweet moan escapes her as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. He holds her like this for a while…then he reluctantly pulls back to stare into her glazed eyes. "I love you so much, Allura… believe in me, please."_

_She doesn't speak, but she does reach her hand up to caress his face and his eyes light up. The light that had been dimming has suddenly been revitalized, but a loud explosion rocks the small group. They all turn to see what it is as Haggar steps out of the billowing smoke. _

"_YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!!!!" she screams,raising her staff to strike out at them. Blasts of electricity spark in the air as Keith knocks Allura to the ground to protect her. When the sparks cease, he looks up from Allura…who is staring blankly back at him, to Arielle and Soren standing solidly where they are…almost daring Haggar to attack. The witch sneers, "You can't stop me…the transfer is almost complete and her power will be mine!"_

"_I don't think so, Haggar. Even with all the tricks you have pulled to get her here, you still will not have everything you want." Soren replies coolly and she grimaces, "What do you mean?"_

_The seer smiles, "Did you think that Allura was that ignorant that she couldn't figure out what was happening to her? You do not have all her power and unless you obtain ALL of it…this whole thing will be for nothing!"_

_Haggar looks shocked, "What are you saying? You lie!"_

"_No, I don't. There is a part of her that you can never touch or possess…and it was something that you had tried to sever before you attempted this…"_

_Haggar sneers as she looks back at the entwined couple on the ground. "No…" she whispers and she tries to shoot at them again, but a shield created by Arielle blocks her blasts. Haggar stares at the little girl and begins to shriek menacingly before disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke. Soren rushes over to the couple and helps them to their feet. "We have to get back…she's going to try to absorb what there is and destroy Allura in the process."_

_Allura blanches while Keith holds her close. Soren closes his eyes and a portal opens off to the left of them. Allura says nothing, but she clings to Keith as they head towards it. The little girl stares after them…smiling when she sees Keith turn back to her. He tells Allura, "Wait here…" and rushes back to the girl that is to be his daughter. Bending down, he stares into those chocolate eyes deeply, "I wish we had more time…I wish I understood all this."_

"_You will, Daddy…just take care of Mommy. I'll see you later…" and she kisses him on the cheek before running off in the other direction. Standing, he watches her disappear… "We have to go!" calls Soren as Keith snaps out of his reverie to rejoin them… _

They all step through the portal and are instantly transported back into their bodies…in the exact spots they were when their minds met. Soren moves to Allura and takes hold of the crystal, now that they have broken the shield that Haggar had conjured to protect herself; the very crystal that is now sparking and humming as if it were about to explode.

"Allura! Allura, get up and move…quickly now!" The drowsy princess stirs and sees the seer straining to contain the power sparking out of the crystal. Feeling as if a heavy weight has been lifted off of her, she slides to the side and hits the floor, still trying to gain her bearings. Keith runs over to her and helps her to her feet. "Are you alright, Princess?" Allura doesn't look at him, but she nods as she clings to him for strength.

With the severity of the scene unfurling before him, Lotor has been pretty much ignored in this time, as well as the other two members of the Voltron Force…but as soon as he sees that they get Allura from out under Haggar, he finally makes a move. Drawing his blaster, he fires at Keith from behind, striking him in the shoulder. Keith yells and Allura is let go, allowing Lotor to grab her, holding her to him. Keeping her tightly against him, he smiles maniacally, "The Princess is mine! She will _always_ be mine!"

Keith turns dangerously slow, holding his shoulder, "You damn fool! Haggar still has her power…if we don't do something, neither one of us will have her!"

"You lie…" he yells back as Allura elbows him in the gut, so he releases her before running over to Hunk and Pidge, who immediately stand guard over her. Keith growls as he walks toward him slowly, "If we don't destroy that crystal, she will kill Allura and everyone in here! All your talk on staying in power will be for nothing…and your father will pay for it."

Lotor blinks unbelievingly at him, but Keith turns back to the catatonic witch still standing in front of the table that Allura was on. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Allura sagging against Hunk as her strength is slowly being drained away. The captain turns to Soren and Haggar standing off silently…neither one giving an inch mentally. Haggar finally comes out of the trance, raising her staff and strikes at Soren…but the blast is deflected by the crystal that he is holding. "No…impossible!" she screams as she reaches to take back her crystal. A strange mist forms and the tug of war between herself and Soren starts, both trying to gain control over the powerful crystal. Soren squeezes his eyes shut and concentrates on the mist; Haggar's way of projecting her power to give herself the upper hand…and it begins to dissipate. The brief flow of power into her being stops and Haggar shrieks, "You bastard! You will not steal this from me!" And with a flourish, she forces Soren off his feet with him flying backwards on the floor a few feet, having shattered the crystal in two pieces. Soren maintains possession of the largest piece of the crystal, while Haggar greedily clenches the small piece in her hand. Keith hurries over to him to make sure that he is alright, but the old man sits up straight, staring him in the face.

"Keith, you have the power…you can destroy that crystal. I can hold her at bay, but you have to destroy it."

"What?! That will kill Allura!"

The old man shakes his head, "No, you have the sacred ring…I don't know why I didn't think of it before. You possess the ring of the Lion Warrior and it has the ability to protect you and those you love for a short period of time. You must concentrate all of your energy on the ring and it will shield you and Allura…go ahead, we have no more time!" Keith is about to protest, when the seer grabs his hand, "Just believe…this battle is yours and yours alone."

Keith looks the ring once more and then back at Haggar, who is spewing more ancient words as shebuilds up her power for another strike. He closes his eyes and focuses on the ring and what he needs to do. Keith takes a deep breath as he stares at the glittering ring on his finger. The ring begins to glow and a feeling of immense power begins to fill him. Suddenly, everything is made clear to him what he must do…he stands to face the menacing witch at the other end of the room. In his mind's eye, he sees Allura still sagging, her body not able hold itself up. Then, he sees Haggar holding her piece of the crystal and he wills himself to get it away from her. Haggar feels a mystic pull on her prize; one that is more powerful than she has ever dealt with before. She looks over at the Voltron commander, astonished that a mere pilot has the ability to stop her like this…until she takes notice of the growing aura of power around him.

"Where is that coming from…NO!!!!!" Haggar wails as she tries to enter Keith's mind, but she is blocked by that unseen power, who realizes that the young man is going to need some additional help to succeed at his task. She looks at the commander and she spots the ring, snarling at the discovery. "How is a measly pilot able to possess the Lion Warrior crest?!" she asks to no one. In a desperate attempt, she blasts again at Keith, but Keith blocks her once again. The crystal in her hand begins to glow unnaturally...shaking uncontrollably in her wrinkled hand. With the crystal broken, the energy absorbed is now unstable…straining to break free. Suddenly, Haggar loses her grip and the crystal flies over to where the Black Lion pilot is and Keith takes hold of it. The crystal is still shaking as he hands it to Soren. Haggar stares in horror as Soren closes his eyes and squeezes both pieces of the crystal. After a few agonizing minutes, the crystal stops glowing to shatter effortlessly in his hand. An evil growl escapes the witch as she fires blast after blast of lightening energy at the ones who foiled her. As a bit of arrogance, Soren holds up what he still holds in his hand to let her watch the dust blow harmlessly away. A ear-piercing scream erupts from the old hag as both her and Allura faint dead away, leaving the rest of them to figure out what exactly just happened. Soren sags, falling back against Keith as Lotor shakes off his momentary shock as he immediately calls for reinforcements when he sees Haggar go down,

"All guards…the Voltron Force is on base…stop them at all costs and secure the Princess!"

Pidge fires at the prince; the blast hitting him in his arm and knocking him back a few feet as Hunk gathers Allura in his arms to take off for the door, making sure that the others are following. Keith leads Soren, who is weakened by the mental battle he had with Haggar, and they run after the pair of pilots. They all halt when they see some soldiers come to the door. Breaking into two groups, they run for cover…firing in all directions. Keith and Soren find a place behind a huge pillar on the side of the room while Hunk and Pidge carry Allura behind an upended table.

Lotor has pulled his blaster now and fires at Keith and Soren, while the rest aim at Pidge and Hunk. Laser blasts bounce off walls and floors, scorching everything around them…the troops are holding up at the doorway and it looks as if they have no way out. Keith is still firing while holding his shoulder as Soren looks around the room for some kind of idea to get them out of there. He looks down at his hand and sees the last remnants of the crystal, now turned back to black. Taking a chance, he hurls a piece at the guards on the door and a huge explosion rocks everyone in the room. "Let's go!" he calls and he pulls at Keith's arm to lead him out the door. "We have to hurry before any more can be called!" Keith waves at the other two and they come out from hiding spot. Hunk shifts Allura on his shoulder and they tear to the door, blasting all the way there. Lotor takes deadly aim and hits Soren in the side…the old man letting out a howl of pain. Keith grabs him as he is about to fall and turns his blaster on Lotor, trying to them some cover to get out.

They make it out into the hallway, heading towards the east entrance, where they know there is little protection. Keith struggles to help Soren along, but he decides that they can move faster if he carries him. So, the Voltron commander manages to get him lofted to his good shoulder and they all head to the entrance and out into the desert. They have a few hundred feet to reach Black Lion and he moves them along as quickly as he can. Hunk and Pidge take up cover positions as they run behind them. Legions of laser fire come out at them as they race to the lions, but they have too much of a head start. Lotor comes out to the doorway and stares at them.

He grits his teeth before hollering, "KILL THEM!!!!! But make sure no harm comes to Princess Allura! Keep them from taking off!" Teams of soldiers empty out into the desert, running after the fugitives. Keith and Soren reach Black and he calls for the chair lift to come down, firing at the approaching strike forces. Once it hits the ground, he pushes the seer in the chair and he hops on the back, his aim deadly as, one after the other, soldiers fall to the ground…leaving a distinguishable dark stain from their fatal wounds. The Voltron commander sighs as he sees Hunk and Pidge reach their respective lions and ascend into their cockpits with Hunk carrying the Princess. As they are locked in, he moves Soren to the back of the lion and settles himself in. The powerful roar of the mighty Black Lion fills the skies as Keith has him stand…ready for take-off. Green and Yellow Lions follow suit and they all leap into the air…away from the distant base.

Lotor watches as they fly away…not entirely sure if he is upset or relieved that Haggar's plot failed. Smiling maliciously, he turns back into the base and heads to her chamber. The room smells of laser fire and burnt ochre, but he sees the unmoving body of his father's witch and motions for some guards to come over.

"Take that hag to the dungeon…I will contact my father and inform him of what happened here."

Three of the guards nod and head over to her, while another two stand there. Lotor turns his attention to the two that are remaining, "Have a message sent to Planet Doom immediately…while it would be the perfect chance to attack them, we need to plan better. Haggar is not to be involved in anymore plans and I will inform him of this." They nod and head off for the communications room. The Prince of Doom watches as her body is carried down to the dungeons and an evil smile crosses his face. _It isn't a complete loss…Haggar will be found to be a traitor and it will be a joy to see what my father will do to her…_


	27. Chapter 27

Hello All!

We are coming up on the end of this story...I hope that you have enjoyed the ride. I am working hard on the final edition to this trilogy and will start posting ASAP!

Also, this is a SHORT chapter...but don't worry, there is still a lot more to go!

In the meantime...I would love to thank all of those that have either reviewed, marked for alerts or favorites, and generally just READ my stories. It's because of you that I continue to enjoy writing my works. Please check out my other works if you enjoy these...links are on my profile.

My devious plan is almost in fruition now....soon Voltron shall be mine! _Mwah ha ha ha!_

But for now...he isn't, and neither are the characters

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_On Planet Arus… _

The lions land in their dens and Keith calls for a stretcher to come and transport Soren to MedTech. He stands quietly to the side as they hurry him to the medical wing. One of the techs notice that Keith is bleeding profusely on his right shoulder. "Sir, you need to see the doctor as well…"

"I'll get down there…just make sure that the Princess and Soren are taken care of first."

"But sir…" and Keith turns on him with glaring eyes, "Never mind about me! Get them to Dr. Gorma!" The tech nods quickly and hurries off behind the stretcher. Hunk comes over to him and shakes his head. "Chief, you look bad…you need to get to MedTech."

Those glaring eyes turn on him now, "I need for everyone to stop worrying about me and check on the Princess. I'll get there…"

"Yeah, I know…" and he hits him square in the jaw, putting him out. He lets Keith's slumped body fall against him and carries him over to a stretcher. "You can take the Captain now…he won't give you anymore problems." The bemused tech smiles and pushes the stretcher down the hall as Hunk looks on. "Why did you do that? You know he's going to get you for it," says Pidge, coming over to his friend.

Hunk snorts, "He would've stood here and damn near bled to death to make sure that Soren and the Princess were taken care of first. He needed the help."

"You're asking for it." Pidge murmurs then chuckles, knowing that practice is going to be a little more interesting once Keith gets out of sick-bay.

* * *

A few hours, a lot of cussing, and a huge bandage later, the Voltron commander is sitting in a bed, rubbing his sore jaw and waiting to hear when he can be released. As he leans his head back against the pillow, he hears the door open and his second in command enters the room.

"I see you've gotten yourself all messed up again. Man, they should keep a room with your name on it for when you visit!" Lance exclaims sarcastically. As he moves over to the bed, he laughs, "And I heard that Hunk had to knock on your ass to be brought in here! How's your jaw? Did he leave some teeth?"

Keith smirks, "Funny…I know I was giving him a rough time, but I didn't expect this…" and he rubs his face again as an example. He looks into Lance's face and decides to change the subject, "Enough about me and my jaw...what is this I hear about you having a run in with Keero?"

Lance's face hardens as he sits down. His eyes are ice as he begins his tale, telling his commander exactly how everything happened between Keero and himself. Keith can see the tightening of his jaw as he speaks about the incendiary bomb that he used to pacify Katia. Lance's voice starts to tremble when he finally finishes with the death of the innocent private. "Katia is okay now…since I was able to get her out, but she's scared, Keith. She had to have been so strong to survive on Doom and now…she's scared again, in the Castle of Lions." His jaw clenches as he adds, "And Callen…that was his name, he died because of a coward that didn't want to admit to the fact that he was _never _going to be good enough to fly Black…" He stands abruptly and paces the room. "I want to kill him…make him suffer …killing an innocent guard and attempting to kill an innocent woman all because you have been found lacking." Keith nods, letting Lance get it off his chest. If _I_ knowanything about _my _friend, it is that when he's upset, he had to take his own time calming down and in his own way. The raven-haired commander looks at him, asking, "Is she alright?"

"She's fine…I guess you can say. She probably needs someone to talk to…."

"So, why aren't you with her? Believe me when I tell you…the best thing you can do for her right now is be there, because you never know what will happen later."

Lance looks down at his friend and sees the strain of the past month and a half has had on him. "Have you tried to talk to her?" Lance asks quietly, knowing the answer already. Keith shakes his head, "She hasn't said as much as two words to me. I know how she feels about me, but she's so angry right now…she doesn't want to listen and I don't blame her." He absently twists the ring on his finger, wishing that he could reach out to her, but with the trauma that she has been through, it would be better if he just let her mind rest. Lance comes back over and sits, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If there is one thing that I know about you, Cap, it is that when it comes to people you love and care about, you stop at nothing. But maybe, you need to listen to them as well…let them in on what _you_ think and take in their suggestions. You aren't alone out here…"

Keith grins, "When did you start caring about what the opposite sex thinks? What has Katia done to you?" The chestnut-haired pilot smiles and has the audacity to blush, "She's so different from all the others…and it feels good." A quizzical look crosses his features as Lance asks, "Is this how you feel about Allura?"

Keith nods and a wistful smile covers his lips, "You have no idea…"

At that look, Lance sneers, "Maybe I don't!" and he laughs. Standing, he slaps Keith's leg, "Well, I'll let you get back to terrorizing the nurses and doctors in here." As he heads to the door, Keith stops him, "Wait! Do you know how Allura is?"

Lance pauses at the door and looks back on him, "She's still unconscious. Romelle and Nanny have been hovering around her, so not too many others can get in to see her."

"Thanks…" Lance nods and leaves. Keith presses his head back into the pillow. _Allura…please…forgive me…_

Allura seems asleep, not moving…barely breathing. She had been conscious for a while before the crystal was broken and now…Nanny cries silent tears as she gently holds her baby's hand while Romelle paces the room, hoping that her cousin will show that fire that she is so used to seeing. The pale-faced princess is not what she is used to and it bothers her to no end. As a nurse comes in to check her vitals, Romelle asks her, "Has there been any progress?"

"No, she seems healthy enough. It's like her mind is elsewhere."

The Princess of Pollux nods and stares back down at her cousin again, "Where is Soren? Maybe he can find out what went wrong and bring her back to us?"

Nanny nods vigorously, "Yes, we must talk to him." Romelle leaves to head to a room across the hall. Opening the door, she sees an old man sleeping, but doesn't look any worse for the wear. "Soren? Soren, are you awake?"

"I am now…" he chuckles. Opening his eyes, he looks at her and smiles, "What can I do for you?"

"Allura is here, but not here. Her body is fine, but no one can talk to her or communicate with her in any way." Soren nods and closes his eyes…he slowly tries to enter her mind and is blocked by a barrier that he cannot surpass. It was put up to protect her from pain, but a type of pain that only one person can heal. His eyes open again and he sighs, "I cannot help her…only the Commander can."

"What?"

He explains, "Whatever happened between the two of them hurt her deeply and she has withdrawn into herself. A mental barrier has been erected and the only one that can get through it is Commander Kogane."

Romelle shakes her head, "But, she doesn't want to talk to him at all…"

"She has to if she wants to come around. She does love him."

"But, is it enough?"

He sighs, "I hope so…"


	28. Chapter 28

We're getting closer...and we are finally getting around to settling some questions...

Will Allura get her head out of her ass and forgive Keith?

Will Keith ever forgive himself?

Will Lance be a good listener for once?

Will Hunk and Pidge ever have a bigger part in my stories? LMAO

All will be answered soon!

As I have to continuously say, I DON'T OWN VOLTRON... *$#ers!

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Romelle enters Keith's room in MedTech quietly, finding that the captain is sound asleep. Coming over to the bed, she sits and gently places her hand on his, causing him to jerk awake. "Romelle…what are you doing here?"

She swallows hard, "It's Allura…she has yet to come out of her coma and Soren says you are the only one that can bring her around." His eyes widen and he sits straight up. "What do you mean? The crystal was destroyed…she was freed."

"Yes, but she put up some mental block that needs to be taken down. Soren can't get through to her…and he said only you can."

Keith stares at her, "She won't talk to me…how can I reach her?"

Romelle holds his hand, "She still loves you…Soren said that if she didn't, you would have never been able to rescue her. She may be angry, but she doesn't really want to be…she's hurt…"

"I know…and wish like all hell that I didn't do that to her. But how…?"

Romelle stands then, "Stop with the buts and let's go!" She waits patiently for Keith to get out of bed and follow her to Allura's room. She enters, but Keith hesitates at the door…not knowing why he is having such a problem going to see her. It's not like she can rail at him again or say hurtful things…

Taking a deep breath, he enters and sees Coran sitting by the bed. The Polluxian princess moves to the other side of the bed and motions for Coran to stand. Puzzled, the old advisor stands and looks at the half-clothed captain, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Soren said that only Keith could bring her back, so he's here."

A very unpleasant look crosses Coran's face, but he moves away and finally out of the room, sensing that this is something that he doesn't need to see or hear. Keith looks down into the face that has plagued him for weeks now…the golden hair, the fullness of her lips…

He can remember how all of that feels against him, how it looks when she cries out in ecstasy…but he's not here for that now. Her mind is not with her and he has to bring her back. He sits down next to her and takes her hand…Romelle takes this time to leave the room as well; knowing this is a time for the two of them. Keith doesn't take any notice of her leaving…he is totally focused on the woman in front of him. There could be a million things for him to say to ask forgiveness, but sugary words are not part of his repertoire. He looks at her and decides to speak from the heart, sending to her…

_**Allura…I don't know if you can hear me, but I pray that you can. You have to come back…you have to break down those walls. Please don't let my stupidity lock you away from everyone and everything that you care about. I was wrong…I should have believed in us more, should have known that we can survive anything as long as we are together…**_

He picks up her hand and places a tender kiss in the palm, only pausing to gather his thoughts, _**You have to fight back…come back and fight me if you have to, but come back…please…you have to know how much I love you, how much I need to keep you safe, even at the cost of my sanity and us being together…because that is what it came down to. I had to leave you to save your life, or at least I believed that. This is all new to me and I didn't know how to react, so I went with what I thought was the right decision. I was wrong, my princess, so very goddamn wrong and I'm sorry…please…**_

He closes his eyes and concentrates on the wall that he can see before him, wishing he can scale it. _Suddenly, a crack appears…then another one and another one. He has to move back because the cracks are coming in waves now with a bright light is coming through. A loud bang rings in his ears as the barrier is shattered. Still trying to clear his sight, he can finally peer on the other side. Sitting on the ground, in a tight ball, is Allura…crying. He goes over to her to envelope her in his arms, rocking her and telling her that she's going to be okay. All he can get back is her tears…but it is enough…_

He comes out of his trance, looking up and seeing her eyes flutter open. A brilliant smile crosses his lips as he kisses her hand once more, but she pulls it away at the last minute. A sharp pang rushes through him as he realizes that he still has a long way to go before she'll forgive him, but at least she's awake.

* * *

Allura stares into the eyes of her dark warrior and almost gives in to the rush of emotion that hits her, but the pain of being left alone and wondering comes in just as quick. She yearns to have him hold her, kiss her, have his body join with hers…but her pride won't let her give in. He hurt her deeply and it's going to take a while for her to trust him with her heart again. _I know why he did it, but it doesn't make any sense…we were to face everything together, help each other through anything. He didn't trust in what we had enough_…and that is the biggest pain she has. Her mind has been in turmoil since he left and it centers around her damnable pride. The frustrated princess turns from him and hears him sigh as he stands to leave. She turns back in time to see him go to the door, then pause to look back at her. A lump forms in her throat as she stares at his chiseled torso, the slim hips and powerful legs. His face has a little growth, but is still absolutely gorgeous. It seems as if his hair is calling to her, begging her to run her fingers through it and hold on tight…

Keith can feel the waves of desire flowing off of her, but she still says nothing. Her sapphire eyes stare at him unblinking and he is robbed of his speech. He knows he should say something, but how many times can a man apologize? He lets his eyes speak for him before he lowers his gaze and walks out of the door.

Tears fall from her eyes as she watches him leave, wanting to scream for him to come back…her voice leaving her. She turns to the other side of the room and let the tears fall…h_ow can I be so in love with someone and not want to be near them?_

* * *

Lance stands outside Katia's door, suddenly afraid of seeing her. _What if I don't know the right things to say? What if I lets my anger get the best of me? Never in my life have I had to deal with this and it is a shock that I am considering it now_. Katia is more than a casual fling…somewhere she snuck in and dug a place in his heart that he figured never existed…didn't really want to exist. Breathing deeply, he knocks at the door and waits…the door creaks open to admit him, but he doesn't see her. Walking through the door, he turns to see Katia behind the door…her face sullen and not at all like the person he had come to know and…

He changes his thought as he watches her move over to her bed and sit down. He follows her and sits next to her, waiting for some kind of sign to say something…but he gets nothing. Lance suddenly feels afraid that she's going to withdraw and become a shell, so he bravely takes the lead. "Katia…I'm not good at this, but I know what happened scared you. Believe me, if I could go back in time I would take all of it away, but I can't. All I can do is tell you that I would never let anything happen to you…that I'm here to protect you at any cost…"

She lowers her head and finally speaks, "That's what I am afraid of."

"What do you mean?"

Katia stands quickly and moves over to the window, "I lost my husband because he was trying to protect me from Lotor and his minions. I lost him and became a slave." Stricken eyes turn back to him as she continues, "I was rescued from being a slave back to being a regular woman with the opportunity to do what she wants with her life…and then I was reminded of what I had tried so hard to forget…" Her shoulders start to tremble and Lance comes over to hold her. "Kita, you don't have to worry about me and please…I'm here, love, I'm here."

She buries her head into his shoulder and sobs as he gently rubs her back. Lance kisses the top of her head and rocks her. As her sobs begin to subside, he walks her back over to the bed and lays her down. The Red Lion pilot climbs in beside her and pulls her in close. "Lance…" she murmurs and a wave of emotion washes over him. The intense need to protect her and keep her safe is not something that he is used to and he can now understand what went through Keith's mind when he decided to leave for Allura's sake. He places his head on hers and sighs…another feeling coming to him, one that he is afraid to voice as of yet.

* * *

Romelle comes in later to find Allura asleep, but lying in another position so that she knows Keith has done it. Rushing over to the bed, she grabs her hand and kisses it. "Allura! Allura, wake up!"

The Princess of Arus turns back over and hugs her cousin tight, more tears coming down her face. "What is wrong?" Romelle asks quietly and Allura cries harder. Her cousin holds her tight and rocks her, "It's okay…he does love you, so very much."

"How do you know?" Allura stammers out, hiccupping from the heavy crying. Romelle wipes her tears away and smiles, "Because he couldn't stop talking about you, or thinking about you. He understands that you're mad at him, but don't you think you are taking this too far?"

Allura pushes back, angry, "He hurt me, dammit! How am I supposed to just forgive that?"

"Do you really want to stay mad at him forever? Make both of your lives miserable because you are too damn stubborn for your own good? You need to stop and talk with him…before it really is too late."

Romelle can see that Allura is considering her words, so she stands and gets ready to leave. "I'll send Nanny and Coran in here…they have been dying to know if you are alright."

Allura nods and relaxes back against the pillows. Really, she just wants to be alone with her tormented thoughts. Her heart is telling her to stop being such a hard ass about things…it should not surprise her that he decided to take this on himself. Keith has always deemed it necessary to be her sole protector, and paid quite a price for doing such. Countless times he has been in MedTech from fighting to save her…mostly against Lotor and they haven't been easy. Keith has almost died on more than one occasion, and her heart nearly broke the last time when not only did Lotor cut him…he shot him while he was down. A solitary tear falls down her face as she remembers holding him close, willing his life not to slip away. _I love him….still and always…but…_

_There is no damn "but"….stop doing this to yourself and him!_

She sits straight up at that sudden thought…she wants to surrender, but as soon as she feels her heart open, a painful streak slices through her and she backs off. Her mind continues to war with itself as Dr. Gorma steps into the room, a look of total surprise on his face. "Your Highness? I was worried that you wouldn't come around…why didn't anyone tell me that you had awakened?" He rushes over to her and checks her vitals. "I'm fine, Dr. Gorma…a little sleepy, but otherwise fine. How is Soren?"

"Cranky, but doing well. I am letting him go in a few days…he sustained some severe bruising along his ribs and still is having a little trouble breathing without pain." He peers at her, seemingly waiting for something else that she might ask. When Allura says nothing but nods in acceptance, he continues his examination. After checking her pulse and respiration, he jots down a few notes on her chart before saying, "Well, it's good to see you with us again…Nanny was about to set up camp in here to make sure that you are okay."

The princess smiles, "When can I be released?"

"Let's not rush things…you just came out of a coma. I want you to stay a few more days for observation, then I'll make the assessment."

Cursing silently under her breath, she finally sighs and looks down. Dr. Gorma moves to the door when Allura finally speaks up, "How is Keith?"

He smiles knowingly, "He is as always…more of a pain than the actual pain he's in! He got shot in the shoulder, but it's not as serious as the slashes he has taken in the recent past." She swallows hard at that statement, but continues to listen intently, "He needs to rest the wound, but he is that determined to get out of here. So, I plan on letting him go sometime this evening with strict orders not to do any serious lifting…as if he'll listen to anything I say…"

"He listens…he's just…" Allura starts, blushing lightly.

"I know, Princess…he's just...one of the bravest young men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, even if he's a royal pain in the ass!"

Allura smiles brightly, "I have to agree."

"Now, get some rest. Nanny and Coran will be in here before you know it." He smiles at her before leaving. Allura continues to smile; she never thought that he would feel that way about Keith, but then again…who doesn't?

She lets her thoughts drift and soon…she falls into a much needed sleep.

* * *

A knock comes at the door and the Commander calls out, "Come in…" He hears the door open and close to admit the person, but no one says anything. Coming out of the bathroom dressed in only a towel, he walks back into the room and smack into Princess Allura. His jaw drops and his arms fall to his sides as he gazes into the most captivating eyes he has ever had the pleasure to look into. To her credit, Allura maintains her composure at his lack of clothing, but it is damn hard to stand there and not be affected when she has known that body intimately. She tries valiantly to calm herself, but the effort is much more than she can handle right now, so she turns away from him and heads over to the window…gathering her suddenly scattered thoughts so she can speak.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did for me…and make sure that you were okay."

Keith is still in shock to see her here, and unfortunately his body knows it. The instant reaction to the momentary fire in her eyes forces him to stand still, building up an almost inhuman like control over his hungry body. She is dressed in a modest hospital robe, but it can't help but outline her every curve and shape. After a few tense moments, he realizes that she has spoken and answers, "I have had worse…"

"I know…" and Allura turns to looks back at him. _By the lions, did he __**have **__to look like that?_ Clearing her throat, she moves quickly back towards the door…suddenly not able to handle this intimacy anymore and keep her resolve to stay mad at him. Before she can reach the door handle, Keith finds the will to move…rushing the door and grabbing her hand. "Please, don't go."

Terrified eyes look into soft ones as he holds the one hand and takes his other to caress her face. How he has wanted to do that… "Please, Allura…won't you talk to me? I can't stand this distance between us."

She pulls away gently, "You started this. You were the one who wanted to end it…now you're sorry? You couldn't tell me or give me any idea of what was going on so that I could understand…you tell me good-bye and walk away." Allura turns her head…tears starting to fall, "Dammit…I hate all this crying!" she murmurs and Keith lowers his head.

"I know I was wrong…how many times do I have to say it? Will you ever let me make it up to you? I love you…"

She spins back on him, "Don't you say that! Don't ever say that again! If you loved me so much, how could you have hurt me so? You…I believed in you and in us…why couldn't you?" Her shoulders start to heave and he gives into the urge to comfort her…but as he reaches out for her, Allura pushes him away. "No! I won't hear it anymore! I…can't…" and she runs out the room. If it wasn't for the fact that he is still in a towel, Keith would have run after her, but instead he walks over to the bed and falls into it…pounding the pillow repeatedly while cursing. "Damn! Why won't she listen?!"

"Who?"

He picks his head up and stares into Lance's smirking face. "Now is not the time, McClain…"

Lance merely shrugs, "I see you have talked with the Princess…so, how'd it go?" It takes everything in the captain not to punch Lance in his mouth, "How do you think?"

"I think you are going to be groveling for quite some time." Lance replies solemnly. He plops down on the bed next to the prone captain and slaps him on the back. "At least she's speaking to you…it may be in the screaming form, but she's not quiet."

Keith looks up, "Have you been able to help Katia?" and Lance looks down, "All I've been doing is holding her…she doesn't want to talk yet."

Keith pats him on the leg, "She'll let you know when she's ready. Being there seems to be the best thing for her right now…" and a sharp glance from Lance tells him what he has already known. "Yeah, _now _I give advice I should have taken!"

They both laugh and start to discuss new rotations and drills for the upcoming weeks. When Lance finally decides it's time to see Katia, Keith feels much better…but his heart still aches for something that only Allura can supply.


	29. Chapter 29

We are in the home stretch...thank you for taking this journey with me!

I'll keep this short and sweet...definite M is coming! LMAO

As is the usual case, I don't own Voltron AT F###ING ALL!!! LMAO

I present...

**Chapter Twenty-Nine **

_Planet Arus…_

It's been a few days and Keith has been working out the stiffness in his shoulder daily as he promised Dr. Gorma. He has also done what he asked…stayed away from heavy lifting, kind of. Lifting weights isn't really heavy lifting…he keeps telling himself. On this particular day, Keith is standing in the gym, stretching out the soreness he has worked up doing his disciplined Tai-Chi motions. It didn't take him long to realize that his Tai-Chi has not done what he needed it to do, which was to relax him and give him time to think straight…but his mind is in turmoil. Nothing has been right since he told Allura it was over…it seems as if it threw off the balance of everything in his life. He stops his fluid movements and hangs his head…_I never really knew that I needed her this much._ Walking over to his bag, Keith grabs his towel and wipes his face. Allura is supposed to be released from MedTech today, but he doesn't have the courage to check on her personally. After the failed attempts to get her understand his side of things, just being around her hurts and unless he can figure out how to get through to her...

_This has got to stop! There is only one person that can help me with this, only one person that can get her to even listen to me… _

He pulls his comm. unit and places a call, "Soren, may I have a word with you?"

"I have been expecting your call son. Please…"

"Let me take a shower and I'll be there in a half hour." A shred of hope flitters though him as Keith heads for the shower. _If anyone can tell me what I need to do, it can only be him_.

* * *

The Voltron commander walks down the hall a half hour later, determined to move past this. If the rift he erected between Allura and himself can't be fixed, then he would be better off not staying on Arus. _At this point, I know it would be too much for the both of us to just work together with so many hurt feelings..._ He knocks on Soren's door and it slides open.

"Come in, Commander…I have been waiting for you."

Keith walks in to find Allura sitting there with her head down. She is dressed in a gown he has never seen before; gold in color with a daringly low neckline. The color enhances the gold in her hair and he has the overwhelming ache to stroke those soft tresses. When she refuses to acknowledge him, Keith clamps down on that desire…and walking over to a chair next to hers, he sits down and asks, "What's going on here?"

"You both have questions that need to be answered and it was best for the both of you to be together to hear those answers." Keith looks over at Allura, but she still stares at her lap…her hands twitching.

The seer stands and moves over to the window before he starts to speak, "I have been watching the both of you for a while now…even before you knew I existed. The legends of old that you have undoubtedly heard about are all true." He turns back and looks directly at Allura, who finally lifts her head. "Your father was a Lion Warrior…one of a class of warriors that span the universe in times of need and distress. The concept of the lions are not indigenous to this planet, but I digress…King Alfor was one of the chosen and was given a special ring that, when tuned into his mental abilities, allowed him to see danger." The wizened eyes turn to Keith, "I have told all of this to the Princess already, but you need to understand your part. The ring searches out those that are worthy of the status of Lion Warrior and you have been chosen. Not only do you possess the abilities of a commander that has been in the field for many years, but you have the innate skills and honor that would make any father proud. That ring names you Lion Warrior of Planet Arus and you are bound to this planet…your duty for the rest of your days."

At the look on Keith's face, Soren adds, "I know what you are thinking, young man, and maybe this will help. It is also the duty, or rather privilege of the Lion Warrior to be mated with a person of the same extraordinary ability and honor. This person will share your psychic connection and the bond will be unbreakable." The wizen old man comes back over to the two of them and smiles at their stunned looks. "I know you have been able to block each other, but the connection is still there and will not be broken…not even in death. You are bound psychically and physically…what they would call soul mates on Earth. It has been preordained that you will be with no other once the connection has been established…it has been that way with all Lion Warriors and their mates. And just so you know that this is not some kind of hallucination or fantasy, or some feeble attempt to play matchmaker…the Lion Warrior caste has always consisted of both male and female members, so it is not particular on gender…just characteristics. And the bond created between the two chosen is a true bond…"

Keith and Allura stare at him in shock…the fact that he was sent to Arus, the fact that he was chosen to fly Black Lion, and the fact that _she_ was the one that needed him was all part of fate stepping in and uniting the Lion Warrior and his intended. Keith turns his eyes to her and silently wishes that she would return the look, but she evades him still. Suddenly, he stands…tired of having to continue to grovel and apologize. Fate chose her for him, but she seems to want to push back. A tidal wave of hurt emotions crash against him and he launches his own mental assault, _**ALLURA!**_

She quickly turns to him, anger flooding her face from the impact, "How dare…"

"How dare I what? You have been ignoring me, screaming at me, hating me and I continuously keep telling you I'm sorry…that I know I deserve it. But, how much longer do I have to go through this?! There isn't anything else I can do to make this right…_you_ won't let me! I am going to explain why I did what I did, then maybe you can understand what I had been fighting all this time…" Furious now, he goes over to her, gripping her up by her arms to finish what he has to say. Allura's eyes flash with a mixture of fear and anger, but she can clearly see the onslaught of emotions he had to deal with in those captivating depths.

"I saw images of you being flogged, raped, beaten to death and I could do nothing! **Nothing! **Lotor had found out what we shared…knew what we had done…and he was brutal in punishing you for it. He continually blamed me for making him do it while I was chained just a few feet away from you. You only saw part of one of these visions, but I had a few more, each much worse than the last. I finally had a vision of Queen Ariella telling me that the only way I could prevent those images was to leave you…to let you concentrate on Voltron and Arus. At first, I didn't want to believe it, but then she told me that she knew what we had because it disrupted the connection to the lions and I had to stop…I had to leave you alone for the connection to heal itself, to leave the idea of us being together a dream." Keith releases her and turns away, completely drained of all his fury and frustration. "What do you think I was going to do? What did you think I _had_ to do?"

Soren speaks up at this, "Princess, Keith was being manipulated through your connection. Haggar knew that the only way she could get complete control of your power was if the connection between you and Keith was broken or disrupted in some way. She sent that vision of Queen Ariella to confuse him about the meaning of his visions. They weren't going to happen because of you being together…it was going to happen because you were apart. He didn't know…and he knows now that he should have waited for me to explain. She needed him to create the barrier between you to allow her crystal to take root in your psyche and drain you…and it is because he destroyed that distraction that you are here now."

Allura saw the fear in Keith's eyes…she knew how much it hurt him to do what he did. _But, he could have said something…anything!_

"I know you feel you have to protect me, but the only way you can really do that is if you let me know what the danger is. You can't keep it to yourself and think I'm going to understand. I have never let any man get this close to me…all those princes were for show. You are the only one that knows me inside and out and you didn't believe in that…and that's what hurts the most. You told me you couldn't live without me one minute and the next one…you're gone."

She sighs, "I am so sorry for what you went through…but you didn't have to do it alone." Allura can feel tears begin again, so she quickly decides to make her exit…but Keith grabs her arm. Her sapphire depths pool into his and a light touch of the minds pass between them, but she abruptly cuts the bond. "I'm sorry…I just can't….I can't…."

She runs out of the room and Keith drops heavily back in his chair. "I came in here hoping that you could help me get through to her, but I was wrong." The raven-haired pilot begins to feel a tear forming and he wipes his face angrily, "I hurt her too much…and I've lost her." Looking up at Soren he asks, "What happens if the mate of the Lion Warrior doesn't want him?"

Soren smiles, "It has never happened…remember, just believe." The old man places his hand on Keith's shoulder for comfort, "Give her some time. She is as new to this as you are; her emotions are so wound up that she can't decide anything right now. She's afraid…afraid of you leaving her again, heart-broken."

Keith stands and nods, "She has to learn to trust me again…she knows I'll do anything for her…" As he walks to the door, he murmurs, "Now the true test begins…"


	30. Chapter 30

_It's about damn time...jeez!_

_Hello all, it's your friendly neighborhood devil here, Scythe and it's been WAYYYYYY too long since you've heard from me! My 'keeper' has had me on a a short leash as of late...making me crank out stuff for an X-Men story (My best work)...but I had to get back into my favorite couple and let them put an end to all the hostility!_

_So, without further adieu...what all of you have been WAITING for..._

_I would like to thank my friend, Cypher...because she KNOWS how to bring on inspiration! LMAO_

_I now present..._

**Chapter Thirty**

The observation room is dark…not a sound can be heard, but Keith walks in to try to gather his scattered thoughts. The castle is still in good repair…none of the earlier work that had been done from Lotor's attack was damaged, and the docking bays are being repaired at an amazing rate. Keith smiles, _If there is nothing else that Hunk and Pidge can do better, it's repairs._ His gaze changes as his thoughts take on another avenue. Ever since sitting with Soren and having him explain what happened, Allura hasremained withdrawn around him…only speaking when necessary. It has been the hardest ordeal that he has ever had to deal with…he had come within a hair's breadth of losing the love of his life, and even though she knows now why he felt he had to do what he did…she has yet to accept his apology. He leans his head back and breathes in deep.

Soren left for his home a few hours ago, leaving him with a small package and telling him to believe that everything was going to be fine. Keith had questioned him about the package but the old seer only smiled in reply. He told the captain, "You will know when to use it…" Keith had nodded in response as the Soran went to Coran and told him that if he was ever needed again to please let him know. He can remember the quiet look of understanding passing between them and Keith had a sneaky suspicion that more was going on than he knew about. Soren just looked at him stoically, almost wishing that he had more control over the insight that has been given to him from the ring. Keith can hear Soren speaking to him as if he were actually talking, "_Haggar may have been stopped for now, but she will surely be back and with some new scheme you_ can't even imagine. _Be prepared, Lion Warrior…stay vigil."_

His mind comes back to the present and the Voltron commander walks over to the large bay window, staring out into the darkness…the only light illuminating the room coming from the stars above. _God, I missed this…being here means as much to me as…_ he thinks and the urge to reach out to his soul mate strikes him hard. Shaking his head, he removes those thoughts…she has been blocking him ever since he and Soren had taken on Haggar and restored her. He should have expected this…he put her through hell. Keith leans his hand against the window and lowers his head…it was made clear to him the minute he left Arus how much he needed her and how much of a damn fool he was not to believe in their love for one another…

His head perks up at the sound of laughter coming towards the room and suddenly, she's there. Allura had been laughing with Romelle, but stops when she sees him in the corner of the room. He is silhouetted against the night; wearing a dark-colored shirt and pants…his hair is tousled; making quite an impressive sight, but he always does…no matter where he is or what he's wearing.

_He is always so handsome…_ runs through her mind, but she never speaks the words. Romelle sees the tension building in the room and clears her throat. Seeing that her cousin is otherwise occupied, she says, "I'll see you later, Allura…" and she tries to leave, but Allura grabs her arm.

"No, please don't leave…I can't…"

Romelle looks at her and says, "Enough, Allura. You want him back as much as he wants you and he has tried to tell you why he felt he had to leave you. When Sven and I saw his reaction to one of his visions, we understood as well."

"You saw him have one?"

"Yes, and it must have been horrible…he was shaking uncontrollably for a good hour after." She sees Allura shake her head, but she presses on, "Okay, so maybe he should have said something, but he kept it to himself because that's all he knows…to protect you at all costs, because he loves you with everything he has in him. He was a mess on Pollux…do you know he has saved one of those blooms he gave you on his birthday? He carries it with him…just like I know you have them saved too. You love him to distraction, cousin, and it's time to stop pretending." She removes Allura's hand and quietly walks back down the hall.

Alone to face him, Allura stands there…torn between running into his arms and going over to him, punching him in the mouth. _Why couldn't he have said something, anything?_ she thinks once again. Keith can briefly hear the question flash through her mind before the wall goes up once again, but at least she has let it drop…maybe that means that she is beginning to understand…

They continue to stare at one another, not knowing what should be said or who should speak first. Keith concedes, "Hello…"

"Hello," is the curt reply and he realizes that this is going to be another hard try to talk to her. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he trudges on, "I see that Soren got off well…I was glad he was here to help."

"I'm sure you were…" she returns and Allura walks into the middle of the room, waiting. He turns to her…she can feel his desire and love for her permeating the air between them, but she doesn't respond. _He needs to know how it feels to be blocked out and left unsure…_ she thinks desperately.

Her handsome captain slowly stalks her, as if he is targeting prey…then Keith stops, his eyes filled with love and sorrow stare back at her. "Allura, I am so sorry. I felt…I knew I had to keep you safe, I thought I had no choice…"

Something snaps in her again and all the pain she has held back comes rushing forward in a flood of agonized emotion. "You had a choice! You could have told me, warned me…but no, you always have to do things alone…always have to be the one to do EVERYTHING!!! You could've said something; you could've given me some kind of hope that I wasn't going to go crazy!" She runs over to him and repeatedly hits him on his chest over and over with her fists. "Damn you, Keith Kogane…you tore me apart!"

He grabs her arms and lashes out, "It was killing me, too! Damn it, Allura…is that all you can think about?! I was walking away from the other half of me…my very SOUL and you think it was easy?!" His voice is rising and she can see the sheer terror of losing herself in his eyes again, but she won't back down…

"We were to be together on these things, remember?! Did you think about what would have happened if Soren wasn't here to tell us what was going on?! Did you ever think about the fact that because you LEFT ME…we might never be together again?! Could you have lived with that?!" and she continues her barrages of punches.

He tries again, "Allura…"

"NO! Dammit…no! No more!" she screams and she turns, running out the room. Swearing profusely, he runs after her, seeing her run into the East Wing to her quarters. Allura runs through the sliding door and turns back to try to lock it, but he's there…blocking the door from closing.

"You have to listen…"

"No, I don't! I can't!" she sobs and she moves farther back into her bedroom. Stepping through the door, he locks it so she can't make a quick getaway. "You _are_ going to listen to me!" Keith orders ominously as she shakes her head. He walks over and takes her by the arms, "Words cannot express how sorry I am that I hurt you, that I hurt _us_. I have to keep you safe, Allura…even if you don't understand why. You see, I can't live without you and I will not allow you to intentionally be put in harm's way if I can help it. I know that we are at war and anything can happen to either one of us…but I have to lessen the chances." He manages to smile ruefully, "Please, love…please forgive me."

She stares at him hard, but her anger is dissipating and it's not what she wants right now. Her feelings have been trampled on for too long. Allura struggles, "Let me go!"

"No, never again…" he whispers huskily and he swoops down to take possession of her lips. Allura stops moving the minute his soft lips press on hers, trying not to respond and failing horribly. She relaxes and leans into the kiss, desperately needing to feel him against her after all this time. Keith pulls her closer, his body completely aflame with his burning desire for her. It's almost as if his body has been starved for years and is finally being given its nourishment. The handsome commander slants his mouth on hers, his tongue plunging deep to totally possess her and the princess responds with as much fervor. Her hands bury themselves into his hair to pull him into her kiss even more passionately. As his hands move lower on her body, he sends to her, _**I'm sorry…I'm so damn sorry!**_

Finally, she answers back, _**My dark warrior…how I have missed you…**_

Keith pulls back, looking deeply into her sapphire depths and vows eternally to her, _**Never will I take that chance again…whatever comes, we will face it together. You are the air I breathe…my love…I am helpless without you.**_

Allura's eyes tear and she places her hand to her cheek. _**I will not speak of the pain we endured anymore…only what we have going forward. My life is not complete without you…I yearn to be near you, to have you hold me and tell me that I am yours forever. You are now, and forever will be my one true love…**_ She kisses him lightly once more as she kicks off her shoes and before she leans into his ear, whispering in a low seductive voice, "Claim what is yours…"

His eyes darken and a sexy smile spreads across his mouth as he slowly kisses her again. Keith lets his tongue lick sensually over her bottom lip until she pulls it into her mouth with hers. A carnal groan rumbles out of his throat as the eager captain lets his hands roam across her back…down to her buttocks to press her into his growing erection. Flashing lights fill her eyes while she brings her hands down his chest to play with the buttons on his shirt. Breaking the kiss, she slowly begins to open them…hearing him moan as each one falls away, leaving his chest open for her hungry gaze. Allura slides her hands back up to his shoulders to push the sleeves off…letting her hands feel the smooth warmth of his body. Once his shirt falls to the floor, he works on her bodice. Keith takes his hands and runs it along the waistline of her gown, teasing her and lets his lips play along her collarbone. Allura lets her head fall back as he kisses along her neck up to the sensitive spot under her ear, then back down to her chest. The ravaged princess moans, feeling the temperature rising within her and praying for release. Keith lifts up to look into her eyes as he moves his hands around her back to lower the zipper on her gown. Her eyes never waver as the bodice falls to her waist, baring her breasts to him. He reverently touches one lightly and the nipple puckers, causing her to catch her breath.

"You are so beautiful…" Keith murmurs into her ear, using his tongue to trace it afterwards. She shivers and grips on to him tighter as he continues his teasing. He moves his hands back to her breasts and holds them gently, adoring the weight and the feel of her heated skin in his hands. She pushes her groin against his and pleads, "Keith…don't tease me…"

Keith smiles as he kisses her swiftly before kneeling before her to grab hold of the skirt of her gown. He slides the zipper down further so the gown can fall to the floor. A tiny pair of pink underwear stares at him and his manhood swells even more. Taking hold, he slides them down to follow the dress. Completely naked, Allura watches him, mesmerized as he stands to kiss her deeply. Needing desperately to touch him, she takes hold of his waistline as she kisses him at the base of his neck. His head falls back when her lips move to his Adam's apple, gently licking it. Her fingers begin to tease the skin under the fabric of his pants, feeling his muscles tighten. Emboldened by his reaction, Allura unfastens his pants and pulls the zipper down. Another guttural moan comes out of him as she reaches into his pants to stroke the hardness there. "Allura…" Keith moans as she pushes the pants off, leaving him his underwear. She locks her gaze with his while she reaches in to take hold of him. It has never failed to amaze her how much of a contradiction he is; hard, yet soft…yielding, yet hard as rock. She begins to stroke him slowly and he takes her lips again. As their tongues duel, she strokes faster, feeling his hips move with her. Abruptly, Keith pulls back and taking deep breaths, gently removes her hand.

_**Not that way, love…**_

He uses his legs to remove his clothes from around his ankles as he kicks off his shoes in the process… He presses his nude body against hers and she sighs. They take a moment to just stand there, basking in the warm feelings that they have been sharing and creating between one another. His hands slide up and down her back slowly, massaging her lightly, while she runs her hands over his buttocks…marveling in its taut texture. Even the innocent caresses are driving them crazy, so the raven-haired commander takes her hand and lifts it to his lips…kissing the palm before leading her over to the bed. He sits on the edge of it to bring her into an embrace…his arms wrapping around her waist with the side of his face pressing against her stomach. The enticing princess runs her fingers through his hair and closes her eyes. Then, he starts to tease again. He kisses the golden curls that conceal her hidden treasure and her body twitches. Keith grins wickedly as he uses his tongue to outline the sensitive area, but stops when he notices a surprise…on the left side of her body sits a small tattoo drawn in a deep midnight blue...in the shape of an attacking lioness. He stares back up at her in shock and she shrugs her shoulders. "I wanted to connect to you somehow when you were blocking me, so I had the palace artist recommend to me a person that could do this for me. Do you approve?" He still tries to assimilate the fact that his proper princess now has a tattoo…not that anyone can see it, other than himself and maybe Nanny…

Then he remembers…"You got this while I was on Pollux?" When she nods, he smiles, "I felt you getting it…but I didn't know what it was at the time." Keith's eyes flame as he stares at the mark, gently kissing it, running his tongue from it back to the delicious mound of curls that he was just admiring. Allura's knees buckle as she holds on to his shoulders, concentrating on all the touches he's giving her. He takes hold of one leg and props it up on the bed beside him, allowing him to gaze into heaven. She throws her head back when she feels a wet, scorching touch make its way into her womanhood and she grabs onto him tighter. His tongue flickers back and forth on her hidden pearl until she grabs his head to press him into her, then he takes hold of her hips as he pulls that sensitive nub into his mouth to suck on gently.

"KEITH!" she calls as she feels a throbbing in her center before she explodes, streaks of pleasure rocking her. Allura desperately needs to lie down just as she feels him kiss her longingly one last time and run his tongue along her heated core before he pulls back.

_**Please…**_ she calls and he grants a reprieve, so she kneels on the bed to push him down. Allura stares down into fathomless eyes, leaning down to kiss him. Arms like steel bands grab her and flip her underneath him as he deepens the kiss. She pushes back and has him lay back among the pillows. Curious as to what she's up to, Keith relaxes and waits. Allura kisses him on the lips, then lets her tongue run down his body…stopping to play on his nipples. Her playful tongue laps one back and forth before she moves to the other and playfully bites it. He sucks in his breath…then all breathing stops as the tongue goes lower. Keith begins to clench the sheets as her tongue finally reaches its destination.

His throbbing shaft stands proudly, tempting her with very wicked ideas, so she tries one. Allura takes her finger and traces the bulging veins along its length, moving along to the top of the head. She watches him shake his head from side to side, deciding to take her torture a little further. The curious princess uses her tongue along the same path her finger traced a moment earlier and he bucks his hips off the bed. Unable to resist teasing him any further, she places her mouth on him and draws him in deep.

_**ALLURA!**_ his brain screams as she moves sensually; slowly up and even more slowly down…her tongue tracing the path. Keith is still trying to assimilate the fact that his princess is slowly driving him crazy…her movements are inexperienced, but still more than enough to have him helpless under her touch. His hips undulate under her and she adds to this by massaging him gently. His brain shuts down…his back arches off the bed as she smiles, pleased with herself as she looks up at him…continuing to suck on him. He feels himself reaching climax and tries to grab her…wanting to pull her off before he loses himself, but she moves out of his reach. "Allura, no...please, my love…I'm going to…" he anxiously pleads.

_**I know…let go, Keith…let go for me…I want to experience you shatter…**_

He can't even smile at hearing his own words come back to him…her stroking sending him so close to the edge now he can feel himself about to fall over. Keith weakly calls out again, "Allura, PLEASE!!!!"

_**No…**_

_**Oh, hell…ALLURA!!!** _he sends as he surrenders…his body jerking violently while he explodes into her mouth. Not sure how she's going to react from this, Keith quickly withdraws from her and sits up…kind of expecting the worse, but he sees her looking at him…smiling broadly.

"Are you alright?" Keith asks cautiously as she inches her way up his body. His eyes darken again as he feels her sending him torrent waves of desire that overwhelm his senses. Allura's eyes narrow like a cat's as he leans back into the pillows, feeling himself awaken once again. Once she is eye level with him, she kisses him fully and he can faintly taste himself on her. His hormones off the charts, he plunders her mouth and she collapses on him. He immediately rolls over to place her underneath him.

"You continue to amaze me, love," Keith whispers against her lips and she arches up into him.

"I want to experience everything with you…no holding back." Her voice is low and husky…and it sends erotic shivers down his back.

"Your wish is my command…" and as he bends to kiss her neck, he gently opens her legs to rest between them. Keith slowly starts to rub himself against her and Allura moans, using her hands on his hips to push him inside her. The raven-haired commander pulls up and looks at her, "In all the time I was away from you, I died a little each minute I had to continue to withdraw from you. I had never known such loneliness…and I never want to feel that again. You are mine, Princess…in every sense of the word."

He lowers his face to hers...whispering ever so softly in her ear as he slowly slides himself into her moist cavern, "Take what I have…all of what I have…it's yours…" and he completely sheathes himself deep inside her. Allura's back arches as her mouth falls open with a low groan. Keith kisses each eyelid while he starts to move enticingly slow; drawing out and in the same way she did to him earlier. Her hips move with him as he lowers his lips to her neck, alternately biting and sucking on her skin. The hardened peaks pressing against his chest coerce him to taste them, so he moves lower…pulling one aching bud into his mouth, lightly biting. Allura gasps at the contact…her body writhing as he moves to totally engulf the other distended peak. His tongue plays with it, flicking it back and forth as she arches her back yet again…lightening flowing through every nerve ending. Allura wraps her legs around his waist, giving him full access to her depths and he takes advantage…driving into her, pushing them to another peak of ultimate ecstasy. She runs her nails across his back as he lifts on his hands, speeding up his movements. Keith takes to his knees, sliding them up under her buttocks…raising her a little higher to heighten the angle of the thrusts. Allura can't think…can barely breathe as she grinds against him and reaches out to express her ecstasy,

_**Oh, Keith…yes…deeper…deeper, my love…**_

Instinctively, he obliges and she starts to pant. A light sheen begins to cover them as they are more aroused by it while they continue to climb higher and higher. He stares into her face , asking, _**Open your eyes for me, Allura. Open your eyes and don't look away as we come together…my darling princess, let me see those gorgeous eyes…**_

Blue eyes open and he locks their gazes. Keith feels her release coming, along with his own and the feeling is too wondrous to explain...and far too exquisite to prolong. Allura can feel the tightening of her groin, arching up into him, while he presses down…

Then the explosion…

That blinding light that they have experienced the few times before overtakes them and they both tremble at its impact. A joined shrill of pleasure rips the air as Allura screams out her joy and Keith answers with an animalistic growl. The tremors continue as he continues to thrust mindlessly into her until they're completely milked dry. She falls back as he lowers himself to her left side. He lazily places his arm over her waist and buries his face in the side of her neck, desperately needing air. "I didn't think you would ever forgive me," he breathes raggedly.

She takes her time to answer, her breathing as ragged as his…her mind still a haze from the power of their coupling. "I wasn't going to…but I need you as much as you need me, and I no longer wanted deny what I have known since the moment I met you…we are meant to be together, what we have surpasses anything we could have ever possibly thought about existing…or ever existing again."

Keith kisses her lightly, "I love you from the depths of my soul, my princess."

"As I love you…" Allura answers with a tear falling from her eye. She turns to look at him and sees the peaceful look about his face, a sight that she hasn't seen in some time. She kisses him on the forehead, pulling back to return the grateful smile that he has. "Besides, I don't think I could have been able to go on knowing that I would never be able to have this anymore…" she whispers and he rises up slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can see what they mean by calling you a fine, _upstanding_ captain when they talk about you!" Allura says and he laughs, running his hand down her body.

"Milady has a fine humor about her tonight…" he returns and she twists so that she lies on his chest. "It has taken a while for it to come back…"she murmurs.

"I'm sorry…"

"No need for anymore apologies…I do understand why you were doing it, I just wish you could have said something to me." Allura says as she slowly caresses his cheek.

Keith looks down at her, "I couldn't…I was told that if you knew it would destroy everything that we were trying to accomplish with Voltron and that the link you have with the lion spirits would be damaged. I couldn't risk that." He caresses her face and places a feather light kiss on her lips. "If Soren hadn't told us that what I was doing was actually destroying Voltron and the lion spirits…"

"You didn't know, I didn't know…we had just started to learn about out link and what we can do with it…" and she picks up his hand that holds the ring and kisses it. "And I never thought that you would be the Lion Warrior that my father had always told me about…the one that would wield this ring in times of great need…" Allura turns glowing eyes to him and smiles brightly.

"My preordained mate…"

He wrinkles his face, "That sounds so…formal," and she slaps his arm. Her eyes soften, "The very essence of my heart, then!"

"Much better…" and Keith kisses her passionately. After a few breathless moments, he lifts up and strokes her golden mane. "Well, Coran has an idea about what going on between us now…but Nanny…we'll have to break it to her gently."

Allura giggles happily, "All I care about is the fact that soon I won't have to leave you. I can wake up next to you and fall asleep in your arms…"

He sits up quickly and gets out of bed, something urging him to walk over to where his pants have been carelessly tossed. He reaches into his pocket and stares at the package. Instinctively, he unwraps it to see a velvet box. Allura observes him taking out something, but she really isn't paying attention to what it is. She has been observing the way he gracefully moves…with the slink and slither of a wild beast of prey.

A mighty lion…her Black Lion….

He comes back over to the bed and climbs back in, taking her hand. He gazes deep into her eyes and sends, _**Allura Raimon, I have found myself in knowing you…I have found a peace and tranquility that I never knew could exist. In your eyes, I found my future…in your arms, I found my peace…and finally in your heart, I found my home. My life, love, body and soul were claimed by you in that long ago dilapidated castle and you have willingly and joyfully given me yours. My darling love…will you share your life with me…for all eternity?**_

Allura has always known that he has a romantic heart, but she has never heard more beautiful words being expressed in this way. Tears fall as she watches him open the small box that he has in his hand and presents it to her. The ring is a smaller copy of the Lion Warrior band he bears, but the stones are the deepest blue sapphire she has ever seen. She holds her breath as she watches Keith place the band on her finger…and she finally is able to answer, _**Eternity will not be long enough, my soul's mate…and I would be more than honored to share it with you.** _Allura fingers the ring as she tries to convey her heart,_**There are no words to describe the depths of my feelings for you…**_

"I love you…I love you…I love you…" he whispers over and over again as he plants tiny kisses along her collarbone. Allura lets her head fall back and she wraps her arms around his neck, delving her hands into his raven locks. With one final kiss on her lips, he lays them back into the pillows. "It's time to rest now, my love…tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

Allura snuggles into the crook of his arm and closes her eyes. Keith watches her for a minute before sleep takes him as well.


	31. Chapter 31

Well, we have come to the end of the story, my friends...but don't fret, the final chapter is in the works. I have to apologize for the delay, but I am working on so many stories at one time, I tend to forget about some to get others on the way...

My eternal thanks to...

Mertz

Wade Wells

CMS

Bosski

chargul

HarmonyWinters

MelodyWinters

and all those that did not review but read the story anyway...without you guys, I wouldn't have had the confidence to continue to write. All of your truthful insight and advie are truly priceless and I appreciate you with all my heart.

Oh, someone else wants to speak..._Hey there, Scythe here...I just wanted to thank my friends for their support here in the gutter..._

_Lucifer_

_Diablo_

_Dokesitsu_

_Sultan_

_and my girl, Cypher_

_You KNOW how much fun it is in here...and trudging around with you guys made it the best. Your influences have helped me (and the twerp writing this) put out some hum-dingers of love scenes! Just wait for the next story...you ain't SEEN nothing yet! ;)_

_Anyway...she tells me that I'm done now, so...._

Anyway...I now present...

**Chapter Thirty-One**

_Planet Doom…_

King Zarkon stands at the window of his throne room, watching the new slaves being led into the work areas. Another day, another planet conquered…all but the jewel of the galaxy. He turns to his communications engineer and asks, "Any more news from my son?"

"He has said that he is on his way back here. Haggar has been stopped and is now in custody."

Zarkon raises his eyebrow in surprise, "Didn't know he had it in him…let me know the minute he arrives." The engineer nods and heads back to the communications room. The king turns to move back towards his throne. Once he reaches the top of the stairs, he sits down and picks up the large goblet of Tylusian ale that was placed there. Swirling the red liquid around a little, he takes a sip and relaxes back in his chair. Closing his eyes briefly, he becomes aware that he is not alone.

"Well, what do you want?"

Another goblet of ale is presented by a slave that had been standing off to the side. The visitor takes a sip and glares down at the king. "It's not what I want...it's what I can give you, for a price."

Zarkon smiles maliciously, "And what would that be?"

"I'll decide later…for now, that nice young lady can show me to my quarters…" The slave cringes as salacious eyes take in her body that is scarcely covered with the garb the slaves have been given for service. She lowers her head and reluctantly leads the visitor out the room with the king chuckling softly after them. Zarkon sips on the ale as he ponders the new situation…smiling as he thinks of Lotor's reaction to their guest when he returns to Doom.

_Yes, this proves to be a very interesting situation…_

* * *

_Planet Arus…_

Keith stirs as the early streaks of dawn light up the room. He's about to sit up when he feels a weight stirring against him. Turning his head, he peers down into a shining golden blanket spread across his chest. His hazy mind remembers the passionate night they shared and he smiles gently. She moves a little, getting herself comfortable again. The handsome pilot strokes her hair as he speaks to her with his mind, _**Allura, it's dawn…you need to wake up…rise and shine, beautiful…**_

Sleepy eyes flutter open and sapphire orbs look up into his face before smiling. "Good morning, my love." In answer, he bends up to kiss her longingly…his hands caressing her back. "Mmmm, I can definitely get used to this…" she murmurs as he pulls away, grinning, "So can I."

She settles back against him and stares out the window at the rising sun. She sighs as she hears him say, "We have to get ready for the day. We still have lion practice and we have an announcement to make." Keith pulls her in closer, still reluctant to let her go.

Allura laughs, "I'm sure that Coran already knows…it's everybody else that will be shocked."

Keith shakes his head, "I wouldn't count on it. I wouldn't be surprised if they already had an idea that we were in love," he turns her to face him, "but it will shock them if they knew about this…" he runs his hand down her leg.

"You're bad…and I love it." She kisses him fiercely before sitting up, giving him an enticing look at her gorgeous breasts. "Okay, Commander…time to get up. Nanny will be here soon and we want to tell everyone at the same time, I'm assuming."

"You would be right." And with that, Keith jumps out the bed and heads towards the shower. She hears the water turn on and that little wicked part of her has her getting up, and follow him in there. Allura stands at the door, watching him wash under the steaming water…completely unaware that she's standing there. She smiles as she walks over to him, opening the shower door, sliding in behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Startled, Keith turns to look down into mischievous eyes. "Hello there…"

"Hi…" she starts as she lets her hands rub over his muscular body. Desire fills his senses as he runs his hands down her body. "If I'm to get out of here before Nanny comes, this is not going to help."

_**But I remember wanting to try this…** _she sends as she places her hand at the nape of his neck to bring his lips down to hers for a heated kiss. Their tongues battle for control…their hands caress and tease until Keith picks her up to wrap her legs around his waist, teasing her with his shaft before quickly sliding himself into her welcoming core. Allura gasps as she hangs on, her mind calling out to him, _**Keith, by the lions…this feels…**_

Keith closes his eyes as he feels her insides grasp him tighter, his body quivering at the intense pleasure. _**Yes, my heart…what you do to me?** _he barely makes out as his oncoming orgasm quickly wipes his mind clear. The princess's lithe body is being driven into the shower wall by ever increasing powerful thrusts and she bites his neck, running her tongue over the mark as he mindlessly takes her back up that glorious peak. Keith groans suddenly, his hands gripping her bottom…holding her tight as he feels her begin to convulsive around him. With a loud scream, she tumbles over the edge and he joins her with a mighty roar…filling her deeply. As they both slowly recover from the aftershocks, Keith slowly kisses her and lowers her back to the floor…the water having turned cold in the interim. The princess smiles and runs her fingers through his wet hair, "Now, you have to hurry!"

"Vixen…now you want me to rush…" he murmurs as he reaches for a washrag to wash them both. After a quick rinse job, they leave out the shower to dry each other off…prolonging the time they have together. Keith hurries into his clothes while Allura puts on a dressing robe. As he finishes dressing, she stands by the window…staring out at the dawn, happier than she has ever been. Strong arms come around her and she leans back against his strong chest.

"I have to go."

"I know…" she returns, feeling a soft kiss on the side of her neck.

"I think practice will be a little later today…you need to get some more rest." Keith says with a wicked smile on his lips.

She turns in his arms, "So sure of that, are we? Well, you might be saying this because _you need _the rest!" Her captain laughs as she adds, "What…the fearless leader delays practice? What's next…a day off?"

He smiles and kisses her gently. "Today should be interesting…when should we tell them?" he asks.

Allura looks thoughtful for a second, "I think at dinner would be a good time. We'll have everyone there…even Katia."

"Katia…there is something you need to know about Katia…" and he tells her what Lance said about her ordeal. Her eyes widen at the news and then they harden. "He got away…"

"Yeah, but we'll get him."

She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him close, "Will this ever end?" Keith buries his face into her shoulder, "I believe it will…I believe we can end it."

"With Voltron?"

"With Voltron."

He kisses her once more and turns to head out the door. The raven-haired pilot turns to look back at his princess and smiles, _**I love you, Allura**_

_**I love you too, Keith**_

And he walks out. Allura walks back over to bed and lies down, waiting for Nanny to show up at any minute. Today is going to be special…and not even Nanny can put a damper on it.


End file.
